Traitors and Allies
by Mags62
Summary: Miriah has been betrayed, but all may not be as it seems. The Eternal Alliance is strong, and wants to stay that way. How can Miriah continue to be a target and still keep things going? Especially with it's own plotting the demise of the Commander?
1. Chapter 1

Miriah had been back in her office for two days, and now, after working on the Copero trip, she was tired. She lay her head on her desk, her arm crossed in front of her. Why Copero, was the prevalent question in her mind, and she knew she wouldn't find the answer soon. She was still too weak to attempt the trip, and although she had plenty of volunteers to go, she felt like this was too personal to let others take this risk. No, she thought, I just want to look in that scumbag's eyes when he's being held helpless by the Eternal Alliance. She shifted her head and felt her neck creak. I hate getting old, she thought, and closed her eyes for a minute.

Corso had gone to check on the order he'd placed for new armor, and now approached the office again. "Shh," Aric said, and Corso stuck his head in the office. "She's better but I think we need to try to talk her out of the Copero mission again."

"I wholeheartedly agree, but it would be useless," Corso replied. He had this discussion with her last night, when they were lying together, their senses settling after being thoroughly stimulated and sent soaring. She had sighed against his chest, her skin warm on his, and told him she felt she had to be there to confront Theron. He couldn't argue with that, and that moment resigned himself to the fact that she was going on this mission. Now, he wondered how she would manage, as weak as she still was. "We're still on for dining in the mess hall this evening?"

Aric nodded. He'd been working with two sets of what he thought of as Command Guard, and he felt they were ready. Many he'd known since his time in Havoc Squad, but they were all fiercely loyal to the Commander, and that was checked and rechecked, Aric not leaving any stone unturned. He'd conducted many of the interviews with family and friends himself, and Corso had hacked into several Republic and Imperial databases to confirm identities and records. "We'll be outside the apartment at seven, but if you need to change that time, just let me know."

Lana hurried along the corridor and saw Aric and Corso chatting. She needed to talk to Miriah, and wondered what was going on with those two. She was planning to have dinner with them tonight, but the invitation she had just received had made her wonder what in the stars was going on with the males on Odessen, and she was furious. She passed the men with a flourish, and slammed the door of the office behind her.

Miriah jumped at the sudden bang of the door, and looked at the angry Sith in front of her. "Lana, what's wrong?" she asked, noting the bright pink spots of color on the blonde's cheeks.

"Have you been paying men to court me?" she sputtered, waving her hands around.

Miriah gave her an incredulous look. "Of course not. Why would I do that?"

Lana shook with fury. "I've been asked out, just since I left home this morning, by three different men. Never in all of my life have I garnered this much male attention, and the only explanation is that someone is paying them to try to get my mind off of my failed marriage!" She stared at her boss and friend, and saw in her eyes that she was being truthful. Her anger played out, she sat heavily in the chair across from Miriah, embarrassed that she'd lost her temper.

"Lana, you are a beautiful woman. You're the second in command of the Eternal Alliance. I daresay the combination would be quite appealing to a single man." Miriah stood and went to sit beside Lana. "What's really the problem," she said, her voice soft, her eyes understanding.

"I don't know, it's all just so strange," Lana whispered, her eyes filling. "I want to forget Theron, permanently. I want to get on with my life, but I am most definitely not ready for a relationship again."

"Maybe they aren't, either. Maybe there's room for a little fun in your life, Lana. Force knows you drive yourself harder than anyone."

"Well, apparently, Nico is joining us for dinner, then," she said, and her lips curved in a small smile. Miriah merely grinned at her friend.

"Okay," was all Miriah said, and when she stood, Lana made her way out to the confused faces of Aric and Corso.

Caly had gone back to work at Devin's house, and had been sitting with Declan and Mia when Declan finally said his first word, Mama. Mia cried and clapped, and Declan grinned at her, his four teeth showing proudly. "Such a sweeite, you are," Mia told him and Caly hugged the little boy.

"He really is such a good baby," Caly said, sitting in the floor with him, watching the child play with the interconnecting blocks he loved.

"So, how are things with Torian?" Mia asked, and saw Caly's smile.

"Really good," she replied. "I worry, though, that I am a distraction from his work. He says I'm not, that since the mission he was on, he's owed some free time, but still. I know he needs to be focused, and not worried about me or running interference with Mom and Dad."

"I'm sure he's fine, Caly. He knows how to balance things. You're going to the family dinner this evening, right?"

"I'll be there," the young woman responded. She looked forward to things being back to normal, although she knew the security around her mom would be tighter than ever. Still, it would be good to have everyone together. She picked Declan up when he got fussy and changed him, settling him in his bed. Tonight, Torian has asked her to meet him a little bit before the dinner, just to talk. He had arranged for Felix to be nearby, thus keeping within Miriah's guidelines. She felt warm all over, just thinking about it now, and her mind was elsewhere when Mia touched her shoulder.

"Go, get ready. Take a little time to make yourself feel beautiful," Mia smiled down at her, and Caly hugged her sister in law before sprinting out of the house.

Miriah had called Aric and Corso into the office. "We need some things, things we can only get in certain alleyways of Nar Shaddaa, unless that's all changed since I was frozen."

"What things, Mir?" Aric frowned, the smuggler's moon was definitely not on his secure site list.

"Disguises, different clothing. Something to let us blend in until we can locate Theron," she replied. "I've done some searching, and I think just a day trip would get us what we need." Corso and Aric exchanged looks, but let her go on. "We could take one of the freighters, but if only me and Corso go, we can take the ship I stole from Arcann." She finally looked up at them and saw the cautious expressions on their faces. "Go on, tell me I can't," she challenged them.

"Mir, darlin'. There would be no security, at all. You know that place is a nightmare at best. You're not exactly hard to recognize," Corso said, and Aric only nodded. "Besides, we can get one of the smugglers on Hylo's runs to pick up anything we needed."

"I know," Miriah huffed out a breath. "I just wanted to do something besides sit here." She stood and paced around the desk. "We do need some sort of camouflage, though. I don't want Theron to see who we are until we haul his sorry ass back to the ship."

"I think we could pull off being a supply ship," Corso said, and had Miriah and Aric's attention immediately. "Just need to change the registry of the _Dreamweaver_ , haul some crates in. A little paint, some dents and a change of some of the antennae, should be enough to let her fit in on most any planet as just another ship, bringing supplies."

After a few moments, Aric's face brightened. "That just might work. We could have a full crew then, and no one would even blink about it." He turned to the door, then turned back. "I'm going to talk to Hylo, get her thoughts on it. You're staying here, right?" he asked, pointing at Miriah.

"I'd really rather go home and rest before dinner," Miriah confessed, feeling the insidious fatigue that never seemed to totally leave her lately. They made their way to the apartment, and Aric peeled off to go talk to Hylo. Corso lay down with Miriah, and she was asleep before she knew it.

Caly saw Aric come into the smuggler area while she was waiting for Torian, and had a moment of panic. Felix sat at the next table, but Aric was on a mission, and didn't notice either of them. "It's okay, Caly. You're not in any trouble, relax." Felix took another sip of beer and kicked back in the chair, watching his niece. He felt honored that Torian would ask this favor, and he was glad to do it. Maybe Miriah will finally let go of some of the anger she denies having against me, he thought.

Torian raced through the hallway to where he knew Caly waited. He saw her as soon as he was through and into the smuggler's hangar, her caramel hair loose and flowing around her shoulders. He took a deep breath and patted the small box in his pocket, suddenly nervous. He saw Felix there, and settled, making his way up to sit across from the one who held his heart. They chatted about their day for a few minutes, and Torian took Caly's hand. He glanced over to see Felix reading, and fished in his pocket. "Caly, I want to give you something. You don't have to freak out, and you don't have to wear it if it makes you uncomfortable," he told her, and slipped the silver band with sky blue stone mounted on it on her slender finger. When he looked up at her face, he could see the astonishment. "It's a promise, for later. I wanted to give you something real, that you could see, every day, and know my heart is with it."

"Oh," was all Caly could say, her eyes drawn to her hand in his, the ring shining. "Torian, it's just beautiful." She reached across to hug him, and they both saw Felix turn to them. Torian didn't care, he cupped Caly's face in his hands and kissed her.

"I love you, Caly," he whispered, and she smiled, her happiness radiating from her.

"I love you, too, Torian. I'll wear it every day," she vowed, and felt Torian pull away as Felix stood.

"Time to get going, kids," he said, but he was smiling, and they started toward the dining hall.

Miriah was seated with everyone in her family, and she had to admit, she was happy. They took up a good portion of the dining hall, but the other citizens on the base only stopped to tell Miriah how great it was that they were all together. Several people hugged her, making Corso edge closer to her, but with the troopers dressed in black armor all over the room, he wasn't as worried as he might have been. Nico had escorted Lana in, and they now sat across from Aric and Maura, seemingly having a great time. Finally they all sat, and Miriah told each one of them what she was most thankful for. Aric, for his protectiveness, Maura for her wisdom. Sarai, her love; Caly, her nurturing; Devin, his level head; Mia, her empathy. Logan, his loyalty; Elara, her mothering skills. Mags, her healing ability; Felix, his ability to forgive. Lana, her organizational skills, Nico, his ability to put people at ease. Finally she turned to Corso. "Sugar, I love you. I am so thankful to have you in my life, every single day. You are the best part of me." He hugged her tightly and they ate, laughing and talking.

On the way home, Miriah and Corso stood surrounded by the guard. When they were ready, they marched across the courtyard, and Miriah turned to her husband. "Everyone was in good spirits, weren't they?"

"Umhmm," Corso answered, but his mind was trying to figure out if Caly had worn a ring while they were cooking together while Miriah was sick, and finally concluded that she had not. Maybe it's just hers, he tried to console himself. They were waiting for the elevator when Aric approached. "Torian is going to Nar Shaddaa," he told them. "He knows the sizes and kinds of clothing we need, as well as bidding on a haul."

"Good idea, Aric," Miriah replied. "When is he going?"

"Ship is being fueled now." Okay, Mirah thought, let's get this mission going.

At the hangar, Caly turned to Torian. She'd slipped off after Devin had left her at her pod, and sneaked around to the hangar after Torian had told her he'd be gone a few days. "Be safe," she told him, and he hugged her, tucking her head under his chin.

"I will be. This will be an easy run," he told her. She looked up at him and he leaned in to kiss her, his hands in her hair. The kiss went longer than their usual, and Caly felt the exhilaration of it all through her body. Torian must have, too, she thought, because he carefully pushed her away before they got too caught up in it. "Be good, Caly. I'll be home soon." He kissed her nose and turned her toward the base. She reached the door and turned to wave, and he waved back.

That was close, he thought, willing his body to calm as he walked out onto the landing pad and into the cool air, and finally he could take a deep breath. His mind knew Caly was too young, but his body reacted to the beautiful woman in his arms. He boarded the ship with a sigh, and the promise to himself to do whatever it took to keep his vow to have her pure until they were wed.


	2. Chapter 2

Torian looked around him at the garish, throbbing lights of the Promenade on Nar Shaddaa. It was an easy trip, and he surprised himself by sleeping most of the way. Now, he rubbed his eyes again and carefully mapped his surroundings. Aric had given him a couple of shop names that used to supply the clothing they required, but he found that there was nothing there that resembled a retail shop. One openly sold spice, the other advertised quite another vice. The nearly naked dancer at the door had tried to pull him in, but he managed to move away, his face hot. He plodded along, taking in the sights and finally found a clothing shop. When he'd completed that list, he wandered into the trade market, and up to the job board. He watched the lists until he figured out which color freight hauls were posted in. Unidentified crates, that's almost certainly spice, he thought, and continued to watch. Hmm, workers, more likely prisoners for the slave trade. Commander would have my head, he figured. Finally, he saw a listing to haul food to Copero. Specialty produce, organically grown. He reached out and bid for it, undercutting the next lowest bidder by several hundred thousand credits. The bid would finalize in a couple of hours, Torian saw. He decided to go have a caf and people watch until then. He had just sat down when he saw a message from Caly, and felt the smile creep over his face. I know I have to be patient, but it's going to take a true dedication from me, he told himself. He was smiling at the image of her when he felt arms snake around his neck.

"Ooh she's pretty! Your daughter?" the dancer asked, having followed him from the club door.

"My fiance," he replied, scowling at the woman who was draped over him. She slid around the chair to perch in his lap.

"She looks very young, too young to know how to please a Mandalorian man like yourself," she purred, and her hands seemed to be all over him. Quickly he stood, and the dancer found herself on the floor.

"If you know I'm Mandalorian, then you know we keep our word and that we are loyal, especially to those we love." He turned sharply on his heel and walked away, aware that he'd made a vow but that it might challenge him to keep it.

Miriah and Solasta were going over the mission specs one more time when Solasta stopped talking suddenly, rubbing her kitling where a foot pushed too hard outward. "She's running out of room in there," Miriah said with a smile.

"She is," Solasta agreed. "Maybe she'll be ready to make her grand entrance soon." They continued to discuss the finer details a few minutes longer, then Solasta's tummy expressed its need with a loud growl.

"Go," Miriah said, laughing at Solasta's embarrassment. "Feed that baby."

"I'll be back," Solasta said, standing carefully. Her leg still required some healing time, but she was getting around without assistance now.

"No, just rest, Sol. I'm actually getting to go out onto the base in about an hour. We will all go over these plans again once Torian returns and we have a date for the transport." Miriah stood and Solasta pressed her forehead to the much shorter woman.

"Enjoy it, but be safe," Solasta warned, and Miriah nodded.

"I'll follow Aric's lead," she confirmed and with a wave, Solasta was off. Miriah took advantage of the break to rest against the back of the chair, closing her eyes. She let her mind wander, thinking about the mission Torian was on, and the guard detail that she was actually getting used to. She was still deep in thought when she felt Corso's lips gently brush hers.

"Feeling okay, darlin'?" he asked, his eyes concerned when she met them with her own.

"Just taking a break," she assured him, taking his hand. No way would she let him tell Aric she was tired, she'd waited all day to be out and about on the base again.

Torian wandered over to the job screen again, trying to look casual but inwardly nervous. He really wanted to get this right, and impress the Commander. Especially since Caly had nearly gotten hurt, and Solasta and Gursan had been hurt, on his last mission. He couldn't contain the grin when he saw his winning bid, and was about to turn to get the specs when he felt the cold durasteel barrel of a blaster pressed against the small of his back. He froze, waiting.

"Why are you so interested in going to a Chiss planet?" a voice growled behind him.

"Not interested in a planet, just trying to get a load that's not illegal," he replied in a quiet voice. The pressure of the barrel eased just a bit, and Torian felt himself calm. "I refuse to transport slaves, and that was mostly what was posted. Disguised, but posted." Torian looked toward the motion he'd spotted out of the corner of his eye, and saw a man with implants walking away from the Promenade. The hair is all wrong, he considered. I must just be imagining things, but it really did look like Theron for a moment. Torian shook his head and the blaster pressed harder.

"You just better watch yourself. The Chiss don't like outsiders," the voice said, and Torian noticed some of the troopers assigned to what passed as law enforcement turn their way. Before he could turn around, his assailant was gone, and Torian was left trying to pick out the likely suspect in the crowd. After several minuted of looking, he heaved a sigh and started back to the ship, already anxious to be on Odessen.

Miriah lounged in the rooftop garden with Lana, having walked the base with her guard. It was a warm day and she stretched out on the blanket, her guard standing spread out on the perimeter of the garden. Lana seemed content, and she placed a cold drink next to Miriah's hand. "Careful with this one, it's rather potent," the Sith warned, and Miriah nodded.

"You haven't said if you're going. To Copero," Miriah said, and she heard Lana sigh as she lay on her own blanket.

"I'm conflicted. We need to know what he's done and who he's talked to. I'm afraid if I go, that I'll lose my temper and just kill him." She sipped her drink. "Then again, I do want to see him humiliated and his suffering drawn out," she mused. Miriah absorbed that information for a moment before responding.

"It's your choice. I would like to bring him back here. I have many questions and I rather enjoy the thought of him spending time with Saresh."

Lana laughed. "Since Devin basically atomized Sciberras, we haven't had any issues with her. I imagine Devin left her with a warning." Miriah silently agreed, her son must have said something to Saresh to keep her from acting out all the time. They were silent, both enjoying being still and quiet, until Coso gently kissed Miriah.

"Time for dinner, darlin'. You need to recover some weight," he told her, grinning at her, upside down. She stood and her guard detail immediately surrounded her. She knew Aric had a sniper or two on a roof during the day as well, and as much as she hated inconveniencing these men, she had also been assured that they had all been hand picked from almost one hundred applications. Corso continued, "I'm thinking a nice, rare ronto steak should perk you up a bit."

"Sounds delicious," she smiled up at him. "Here? Or at home?" she asked, indicating the mess hall.

"Aric says home for us this evening," he admitted, but added, "I have everything we need, including a great bottle of wine and some music ready."

"I'm sure you'll both enjoy it," Lana said, and she felt a little sad to be going home alone. She sighed, and Miriah sent her a knowing look.

"See you tomorrow?" she said, and saw Lana nod before she was engulfed by her detail and hustled down the stairs.

Caly was walking home when her holo went off. When she answered it, her smile broadened. "Torian! You're heading back already?"

"I am. Should be there day after tomorrow. How are you?" he told her, grinning back.

"Good. Better now," she told him, and sat on one of the many benches in the courtyard. He looked closely at her, remembering the dancer's comments. Her face had changed, he realized, since the image he had saved. It had refined, her cheekbones more prominent and her lips fuller, the shape of her eyes deeper. Today she wore her hair braided and pinned on top of her head, but he remembered the silky feel of it in his hands the night he left, and mentally shook himself. No need to open that door, he thought.

"You look beautiful," he told her, and she blushed prettily, her eyes sparkling. "I'll be glad to be back."

"Me, too," Caly answered softly. She was content with her work , but there was a void in her when Torian was gone, even though she knew this time he would return soon. "I'm going to plan a dinner for when you're home, not sure yet who to ask though."

"Ask your parents," Torian replied. "We need to mend this little rift." Caly gave him a disbelieving look. "That way, I can debrief them on this mission, too." Calypso was looking down. "Caly, trust me, okay? This is a step we need to make." She met his eyes then, and saw that he was sincere.

"Okay, I'll set it up," she said, and he saw a thread of hope in her eyes. The Commander and Corso need to get used to me, he thought. I'm not going anywhere.

Lana felt how much she'd had to drink on the rooftop when she started down the steep stairs, sliding her body along the railing. When she entered the mess, the food smelled so good, so she got in line and picked her favorites from the available dishes, and made her way to sit in one of the small nooks along the edge of the room. She was feeling more normal when Nico slid in across from her. "Hey, Lana," he greeted her. "Hiding in here or waiting for someone?"

"Hiding, I suppose," she answered him, aware her speech was slowed. "How 'bout you?"

Nico laughed. "I just finished dinner and caught sight of you, thought I'd stop by." They traded news of the day, and Lana felt full and relaxed. When she stood, Nico took her elbow, moving her so that he could take her tray to the drop off.

"Thank you," she told him, smiling.

"Let me walk you home," he offered, and she took his arm. They walked along, Lana missing a step every few, and Nico leaned her up against the wall beside her door. "You're going to have to key in the code," he told her, and she smiled up at him.

"I'll open the door if you'll come in," she told him, running a finger up his chest. She turned to the door and it clicked and swung open, and Lana pulled the smuggler inside. He didn't protest, just closed the door behind him.

Corso had Miriah in his arms, and their music was playing. He felt like they'd had a perfect day. Miriah did, too, since she'd gotten to wander around the base and talk with people. She hadn't even fussed about the detail. They were dancing and kissing when their datapads both chimed, making Miriah sigh and Corso swear under his breath as he reached for his. "Caly. Wanting to set a night for her to have dinner with us and Torian," he told her.

"Mmm. I like him, I just don't want him pressuring our daughter," Miriah said, taking his datapad and putting it back on the table. She put her head on his chest. "We'll figure it out later. Now is for us," she whispered. Corso wrapped his arms around her, feeling how frail she seemed lately, and held on.

Devin held his wife, who had just fed and diapered their daughter before putting her back to bed. Mia had told him earlier that she wanted to talk, but with the two babies, they'd only now had a few seconds of quiet. "Hon," he told her. "You had something you wanted to talk about?"

Mia closed her eyes and took a cleansing breath. "I think I want to try and care for the kids by myself," she said. "Not that I don't love Caly being here, but she'll go back to school next week. I need to at least try."

Devin felt nothing but sincerity from her, and pressed a kiss to her head. "Whatever you want, love. Maybe Caly would like a little break before her last bit of school." Odessen's teachers had collaborated on the curriculum plan, and had put the final year of education as an apprenticeship for students. They had no university that they could send students to when the plan had been put in place, and now, they realized that most of their students had learned more in their chosen fields than they were learning in the classroom. Devin remembered how he had left that year to go to Tython, he'd been fifteen years old, same as Caly would be when this school session was up. "I'll talk to her tomorrow."

"I hope she won't be upset with me," Mia said softly. Devin took her hand.

"I'm sure she'll understand," he said, and pulled her down to lie beside him. He was about to ask her another question when he realized she was asleep, and merely held her instead.

Nico wandered down the courtyard to the mess hall very early the next morning, just as Aric exited with two large cafs in his hands. They didn't speak, but Aric saw the huge grin on Nico's face as the other man made his way to the caf with a swagger about him that he usually didn't have. Must have had a good night, Aric thought, and made his way home with the caf, not wanting to make Miriah wait for them this morning.


	3. Chapter 3

Miriah had just finished being briefed by the duty officer of the day. Lana was off today, and she usually did this, but Miriah was glad to let her have a rest. Torian would be in today, and she was looking forward to hearing from him. Caly would cook at the apartment and they'd all sit down together. Corso was a little put out by it, but when she reminded him that it was better they all be together than Torian and his little girl be alone, she could see the horror in his eyes and he relented. Now, she peered over her datapad at him, sitting on the small sofa in the office, and thought how boring this must be for him. She stood and walked to him, realizing at the last second that his mind was far from this office. Instead of sitting in his lap, which was her original plan, she sat beside him, saying nothing.

"Hey there, darlin'." He put his arm around her and she rested her head against his chest.

"I'm sorry," Miriah said, looking up into his warm, brown eyes. "I know this must be boring for you."

"I get to spend every day with you, my love. That's pretty much the best of every day," he told her, a soft smile on his face. She ran her hand over his cheek, and he bent to kiss her.

"Ahem," Aric coughed. "When I assigned you two to be together, I didn't necessarily mean to be _together_ , if you get my drift."

Miriah laughed and stood. "I know, I was just telling Cor I hated that he was bored."

"Believe me, I'd rather be bored if you're safe," Corso said. "Besides, it's not a bad gig. I mean..."

"Don't continue that thought," Aric warned, his face stern before he broke into a grin. "Sure it good to see things kinda normal."

"It is," Miriah agreed. Aric held out a bag, and Miriah took it.

"Lunch," he told her, and returned to the door, the light armor he wore making little sound. He spoke to the guards outside and returned with Maura as they sat down and Corso pulled food from the mess hall that Aric had scanned and watched them pack. Miriah hated that she had to have such measures, but knew better than to question them. The food was scanned again and they dug in, content with each other.

"Torian is on final to the planet," Aric said, wiping his mouth. "I told him to go ahead and take this afternoon to drop off the goods and coordinate with Hylo on the shipment, then he can tell you all about things tonight."

"You guys should be there, too. Just have dinner with us," Miriah said.

"We kinda had other plans," Maura chimed in, taking Aric's hand.

"Speaking of other plans, I saw Nico early this morning, looked like he had enjoyed plans last night," Aric said, and Miriah stopped what she was doing to look at him.

"He was alone?" she asked, and when Aric nodded, she smiled to herself. You go, Lana, she thought, and hoped her friend had indeed been happy as well.

Lana woke and stretched, and felt satisfied. Images from the night before flooded back to her, and she blushed. She'd been impaired, but not so much that she felt guilty, at all. In fact, she enjoyed the residual force tingles left over from the pool she'd tapped into last night, the lust gathering in her belly yet again, just thinking about it. She lay there, wondering why she'd never had that much fun with Theron, and decided there was so much pressure to be in a relationship that it had lessened their connection. Last night, with Nico, there were no expectations, no pressure. She rose and languidly made her way to her shower, humming softly to herself. I don't even feel embarrassed, she thought, and that made her smile.

It wasn't until she had made her way into the front room, where she'd left all her electronics and most of her clothes, that she realized Nico had left her a message. "Had a great time, beautiful lady. Enjoy your day off." She made herself breakfast and decided to make a visit to the salon and spa for the afternoon. Grabbing her datapad, she saw other messages there, and sighed. Like Miriah, she never truly had a day without work, but these will be easy to take care of, she thought. After a few minutes of typing, she put the device on the table and surfed the holonet, content.

Caly was anxiously waiting on Torian's message that he'd landed, and startled when she saw Mia standing beside her. "Caly, honey. Can I have a minute?"

"Of course," the young woman smiled. Mia led her to the sofa where they sat.

"Let me first say how much we have appreciated you being here with us. I truly would have fallen apart more than once without you," Mia started, and saw Caly's face fall.

"Did Mom go crazy over Torian being here last week?" she asked.

"No, no. Nothing like that, honey. We just thought...I just thought that maybe since you go back to school next week, you might like a little time off to get ready. And if I run into issues, I could call you." Mia studied her sister in law and saw when Caly accepted the proposal, even saw a little smile come over her face.

"I totally understand, Mia, and I think I would like a little down time before school," Caly said, and reached to hug Mia. "I've loved every minute I've spent here, though." They both had tears when they sat back, and Caly giggled, making Mia laugh as well.

"Just don't break Miriah's rules," Mia warned when they could both catch their breath. "That would be disastrous right now." Caly nodded her agreement.

"I have dinner cooking in the oven," she told Mia. "If it's okay, I'll take off, maybe get to see Torian for a few minutes before going to cook at Mom and Dad's." She gathered her things and waved to Declan, who had learned to wave back this week. I'm going to miss him, she realized, and she slowed her quick walk to gather herself, unaware that Torian's ship was landing in the near landing fields.

Aric stood beside Miriah and Maura as Torian strode down the ramp of the small freighter he'd taken to Nar Shaddaa. "Lieutenant, how was the trip?" he asked, and saw Torian slow as he approached, a cautious look on his face.

"Everything went as planned. Gear is crated in the cargo hold, and..."

"Stop there," Aric said, looking around them. "We'll continue under security. Tomorrow." He turned to see Caly crossing the deck, and nudged Miriah. As Caly neared, she couldn't help the huge smile she wore. She quickened her step and hugged Torian, whispering a few words to him before going to hug her mother.

"I'm heading to your place to cook," she told Miriah, getting a nod.

"I'll be there soon. Dad is there already," she said, and Caly saw fatigue in her eyes, and rubbed her hand over her mother's back.

"Maybe you should come with me, get a quick nap before dinner?" Miriah looked into Caly's eyes and slowly nodded.

"Maybe you're right," Miriah agreed. "Torian, we'll see you this evening. Aric, enjoy your night," she said, wiggling her eyebrows and making Aric grin. She turned and her guard fell in around her, making Caly's eyes go big.

"I didn't even see them until now," she confessed, and Miriah laughed softly.

"That's their job, sweetie." They made their way at a casual pace across the secure area and into the apartment, where Miriah's security was handed over to the HK units and Miriah herself got comfortable on the sofa. Caly went through to the kitchen, where she saw Corso scanning and putting away the supplies she'd requested.

"Dad, I brought Mom home, she's napping," Caly said, and she instantly saw the concern pass over his face. "She's just tired. Pushing too hard, as usual."

"She's still not herself," he muttered. "Still tired, still not eating much. Your food may just entice her, though."

"I hope so," Caly responded. They worked together getting everything ready, and when it was time to cook, Caly turned to her dad. "Go be with Mom, I'll get started."

"Sounds good, baby girl," he told her, and she whirled to look at him.

"It's been years since you called me that," she laughed, and hugged him.

Lana made her way from the salon with a shorter, swinging cut and some different shades of blonde woven in, her skin glowing from the facial and massage. Heads turned as she crossed the courtyard, and she felt the force changes around her. She wore a bright blue shirt that matched her eyes with a low cut neckline and some stretchy black pants, and she felt attractive. It's been a very long time since I felt like this, she thought, and ran her hand through her hair, loving how silky it felt. She turned into the mess hall and picked through the selections, asking that it be bagged up to take home. She had thoroughly enjoyed this day, and wanted to carry her relaxed happiness into the evening. When she got home, she stretched out on the sofa and turned the holonet to the galaxy news, and began to plan her release for the Chiss mission. She was lost in thought when her datapad chimed, and she sighed. Lifting it from the table, she grinned when she saw the message from Nico, and almost invited him over, but thought better of it. She didn't want anyone to think she was clingy, and she wasn't ready for too much pressure. Instead, she sent a teasing message back, and they continued for almost an hour. When she went to bed, Lana thought she'd had the best day she'd had in a long time now, and fell asleep easily.

Corso went to Miriah's side, and she blinked her eyes open. "Rest, darlin'. Caly just started cooking," he told her, but she sat up anyway.

"I want to go freshen up and change," she said, pulling on her tunic. She pushed to stand up and Corso took her hands in his.

"Darlin', I need you to be honest with me. I know you want to put a good spin on things, but really, how are you feeling?" He pulled her to him, and she lay her head on his chest.

"I'm tired, more often than not. I'm sleeping okay, but I just lose my energy too easily. I know I need to eat more, but my tummy is still a little sensitive," she told him, and he felt her sigh. "I'm afraid this is my new normal."

"Let's get Mags to check everything out, tomorrow, okay?" She nodded, and pulled away to head to the bedroom. He watched her go, and when she was out of sight, pulled his datapad out to send a message to Mags, who responded immediately. She would meet them first thing tomorrow. Corso sighed with relief. If anyone could find the problem, Mags could.

Torian had taken great care with his appearance, even pressing his clothes a second time. He really wanted to show the Commander and Corso that he was the perfect man for their daughter, and knew he would have precious few chances if he didn't make a good impression. He straightened his shirt for the tenth time, and took a few deep breaths before opening his door. Instead of going to the elevator, though, he turned to the Dinn's and rang the chime. When Gursan pulled the door open, he greeted his Mandalorian brother with a hearty slap on the back. "Kid, you look good. Must have a big date," Gursan teased.

"I do, but first I wanted to get this to the General." He handed Gursan an ornate box, and Gursan gave Torian a big smile.

"Oh, she's going to love this," Gursan said. He knew the label, and that Solasta would prize the thin, wafer like cookies dipped in exotic chocolates, and would portion them out to last as long as possible. "She's sleeping right now, but I'll make sure she gets them as soon as she wakes."

"I scanned the package as best I could, but once it's unsealed, it might not be a bad idea to scan it again," Torian warned, and Gursan nodded. "I'm off, mate. Wish me luck."

"What do you mean? Caly is already in love with you," Gursan replied, but then he understood. "The Commander is on your side, lad. They're just being cautious." Gursan watched the young man walk to the elevator. "Take flowers," he yelled, and saw Torian give him a thumbs up. He chuckled to himself as he closed his door. He was glad he hadn't had to impress anyone for Solasta's hand.

Caly answered the door when Torian arrived, and they kissed quickly before going into the main apartment. Miriah was just coming in from her room, and greeted Torian warmly. Corso also greeted him, but it was apparent that he was reserving judgment, his arms crossed over his chest. They walked into the dining room, and Miriah gasped. Caly had pulled some of the old china that Miriah had shipped from Dantooine, and polished the candelabras, and everything shone in soft candlelight. "Calypso, this is just lovely," Miriah told her daughter, and saw the pride in Caly's eyes.

"Sit, everyone. I'll have plates in here before you get settled. I have wine or beer, water or tea."

"I'll have wine," Miriah said, and hoped Corso would have a drink as well. Maybe it will lessen his defensiveness, she thought.

"Beer, and I'll help," Corso said, but Caly only pointed to his chair.

"I've got this," she said, and pushed through the swinging door to the kitchen, appearing again only a few seconds later with plates in both hands and one each on her forearms, gently placing them in front of her parents first, then Torian before putting hers down beside his. They were all smiling when she returned with drinks, and even Corso seemed to settle. "Eat, before it gets cold," she scolded, but her eyes were happy.

"Delicious," Corso said, savoring the spices and flavors of her bantha chops.

"It really is," Torian agreed. "Even the cabbage sprouts, and I normally don't like them." Caly flushed with the praise.

"I'm glad, because I've secured an apprenticeship with the cafe in the courtyard. I'll work and learn, and maybe open my own upscale dining place one day." Calypso waited to see if anyone would object, sure someone would.

"It's a good idea," Miriah said. "I know you love to cook, and you'll get some good experience not only with food but with management there." Corso only nodded, his mouth full.

"Very proud of you, Caly. You'll make anything you want a success," Torian said. When they had eaten all they could, even Miriah eating more than she had been, they gathered in the family room.

"I know there are a lot of things you want to know about the trip," Torian started, then stopped. "I just don't know if you want to do that now, or tomorrow."

Miriah looked at Torian, saw the attention to detail that he'd dressed with, and the bouquet of fresh flowers he had brought with him. This is more about him and Caly than chasing a traitor, she thought, and shook her head. "Let's just enjoy the evening. The only thing I want to know is when do we pick up the load?"

"Three standard days," Torian said, and Miriah nodded. She was ready to hunt, she realized, and took Corso's hand.


	4. Chapter 4

Miriah had allowed Torian to walk Caly to her pod, and they both tried to hide their smiles of delight. As they stood outside the pod, the HK unit stationed there motionless but alert, Torian hugged his love to him. "It was a great night, sweetheart. The food was out of this world, and I think we made a good impression tonight."

Caly was almost too absorbed by the heat of his body against hers to hear him. "This feels so great," she murmured, and he turned her head so that he could kiss her. When it lasted several seconds longer that the HK unit deemed appropriate, they were both startled by the metallic clank of it taking a step forward. Laughing, they pulled away, and Torian beamed at her.

"We'll be leaving tomorrow night for Rishi," he told her. "I'll do everything I can to keep your mom safe, but I'm sure we'll have an uneventful trip."

"I have complete confidence in you," she said, raising on her toes to kiss him once more. "I'll see you tomorrow, since I have the next week to be a free woman." They lingered for a few more seconds, just their fingers touching, until they broke away. Caly stood at the entrance to her pod, watching him go, grinning when he turned at the last minute to wink and wave at her.

Miriah had been sleeping soundly, almost from the time she'd snuggled into Corso and put her head on his shoulder. Tomorrow can't come soon enough, he thought, worried about her constant fatigue. He finally closed his eyes, but not before gently stroking his fingertips over what he could reach of her body, hoping to give her some of his strength, knowing she needed so much. He was holding her against him when she bolted upright, turning to him. "Something's wrong," she said, and pushed to stand on the far side of the bed.

"Everything's fine, darlin'. No alarms, no calls." He yawned as he watched her pace in short, quick circles at the foot of the bed.

"No, I felt it. Something's off, somewhere," she said, then snapped her fingers. "Solasta! She's in labor!" She ran to her closet, pulling on clothes, Corso behind her. She was quickly donning pants when he stopped her movement, his hands on her arms.

"Let them get settled. You need a little more sleep before we start this day," he said softly, and she could see the concern in his eyes. She blew out a breath and carefully removed her leg from the garment, placing the pants on a bench inside the door.

"Okay. You're right," she said, and he put his arm around her shoulders, leading her back to bed. "I just got excited there." She was reassured by his deep chuckle, and settled her against his chest once again.

"We'll see the baby. Besides, I love holding baby Cathar, they like to snuggle." Miriah smiled to herself as she closed her eyes, letting Corso's love soothe her.

Calypso had thought after all the things she'd done that day, she'd be able to sleep. She found herself unable to let her mind drift, and instead thought about all that had happened. Miriah had pressed a cred stick in her hands just before they'd left the apartment and told her there was enough there to purchase anything she needed for school next week, like she might not be back by then. That thought weighed on Caly's mind, not only for her parent's safety, but if they weren't back, then Torian wouldn't be, either. A week of free time, with no one here, she thought. She rolled onto her side and saw the blinking message light on her datapad. Torian had wished her a restful sleep, but that had been hours ago. He's probably already sleeping, she decided, and put her datapad back on the floor beside the bed.

Miriah was up before the chrono alarm, and rushed to get dressed, ready to hurry to the medcenter. Corso was woken with her scurrying about, not only getting ready for the day but for the mission ahead. He ducked into the refresher, and when he emerged, Miriah gasped and put her hand over her mouth. "Oh, sugar!," was all she could say, and tears welled in her eyes. Corso ran his hand over his newly short hair.

"It was easier than any other disguise I could think of," he admitted, walking to his wife. "It's only hair, it'll grow back before you know it."

"It's not bad, it was just a shock," she said, folding herself in his arms. "It certainly looks different." He kissed her head and pulled away to dress, unsure how she was feeling.

"We need to meet Mags, and see about our newest citizen," he said, and that seemed to reset Miriah's previous frenetic energized activity. When he could see that she was wearing down, he took her hand. "Let's go to the medcenter," he told her, and she hugged him, nodding.

Aric had figured Miriah would want to get an early start, and had alerted the team leader for her security to be ready to move. He had some reservations about the mission, but knew that it was necessary. He truly wanted to be the one who held Theron accountable for his attempts on Miriah's life, and to that end, heeding Solasta's advice, he had sat for more than hour the night before, taking the dull edge off his claws and replacing it with a medium sharp one, unwilling to risk accidentally hurting Maura in the throes of passion. Now, he sat outside, the air so cool it swirled around his warm body in a fog, combining with his breath. He sipped his caf, watching the base as it came to life under the slowly rising sun.

Maura saw her mate outside, and shivered, pulling robe around her. She'd put out some things for breakfast last night, and now had them all combined and cooking. She'd given up trying to plan a day, she knew this one would be full as usual with the flight out, but she was comfortable, at ease with the projected course. She was finishing their meal when Aric came back inside. "Sorry, sweetheart. I was lost in thought, or I would have helped."

Maura grinned as she put their plates on the table. "You looked all pensive out there, I hated to disturb your meditation."

Aric laughed. "It is a meditation, I guess. My time to look over things, get my mind ready for the day." He kissed her before he sat, his tummy rumbling. "This looks delicious," he told her, and dug into the hot food. "We're all packed, right?"

"Finished last night," Maura murmured, rubbing her face. "I think you're right, you'll have to stay on the ship while we're on Rishi. You're just too recognizable. I'd think the same for Copero, unless the landing area is very far from any activity. Lana and Solasta have a great insertion plan, so that's a relief." She shifted to get his attention. "You are going to have to try to relax," she told him.

Aric sighed and took her hand. "I'll try. Right now, I just want to meet with Lana and go over this all again." They finished their food and stood, the C2 unit taking their plates. "I'll grab our gear and head over to see where the Commander is this morning. Meet you in the conference room in an hour." He kissed her and started to the door, then turned around to kiss her again. "I'm so glad we're going into this together," he whispered.

"Me, too," she answered, her eyes closed as he kissed her nose. She watched him as he left, whistling a tune, happy to be moving forward.

Miriah sat on the edge of the chair in Solasta's room, and smiled down at the sleeping gray kitling in her arms. "She's just beautiful," she said, and looked into the Solasta's eyes, seeing both pride and fatigue in them.

"I'm so glad she arrived before you left," Solasta said, a small smile on her face. Gursan hovered around them, and Corso was nudging his wife, wanting to hold the baby. When she passed the kitling to him, Solasta chuckled. "'Cuz, she may not be a Mantellian, but she's still one of us."

"I always love more cousins," Corso said, looking wistfully at the newborn. "She's really something, Sol."

"Her name is Aissa," Gursan told them, but his tone took on a worried note when Solasta's eyes closed. Miriah knew that her friend was just tired, her muscles weary and her whole body going through so many hormonal changes.

"We should get going, but I'm so happy she's here and safe," Miriah said softly, and Corso placed the baby in the nearby bed. They were almost out the door when Solasta's eyes snapped open.

"Stay sharp out there," she said, and Miriah met her eyes. They shared a long look, and finally Miriah nodded.

Mags ran a quick scan of her sister with the medical instruments, and immediately saw the problem. "When you were injured during the droid attack, we replaced almost half your blood with synthetic," she explained. "The synthetic cells don't last as long as your own blood, and I think your fatigue is mostly due to the fact that they've started to break down, and you haven' t made enough to replace them yet." She busied her hands, preparing another infusion, this time with human blood. "Let's get you pumped up," she said now, turning to Miriah.

"Who donated that?" Miriah asked. "Has it been scanned?" She never thought she'd have synthetic blood in her body, much less that of another person.

"Relax, Mir. It's mine," Mags said. "I harvested it last night. I had a feeling that you might need it." Miriah watched her sister as she started the transfusion, and Mags felt her sister's eyes on her. "I'm just fine," Mags said. "It didn't hurt me at all, and will help you tremendously."

Miriah caught Mags' eye. "Thank you," she said quietly, and Mags held her hand. Before they could get too emotional, Corso returned with food.

"That's another thing. You need to be eating better, more regularly. Healthier. Naturally prepared foods, not so many chemical additives and preservatives. I messaged Arcann, he's bringing in some vegetables for the ship." She turned to Corso. "If you can get some meat from Dantooine, she needs to have it at every meal, it will help her produce her own blood supply faster."

"I'll get on that right now," he said, pulling his datapad out. They were quiet as Magdalane's blood trickled into Miriah's vein, and Mags saw Miriah had closed her eyes. Good, she thought, she needs the rest now. She knew they were preparing to take off this afternoon, and planned to be the Jedi healer on this mission. She hadn't said anything yet, but would just be on the ship when it took off. With that in her mind, Mags glanced up at the vital sign readings, seeing everything was stable, and went to restock her bag.

Lana had made it to the secure conference room first, and now sat back, relaxed and rested. She felt better than she had of late, and attributed that feeling to finally letting go of Theron and setting a new course for herself. She did have a few minutes of self doubt early this morning, wondering if she was making too big a change, but realized she felt good about the direction she was taking. She felt powerful, more in tune with her Sith nature, more settled in her mind than she had been in forever. As head of Sith Intelligence, she'd felt a somber, cynical view was the best approach, and she knew now that she had missed a vital part of herself all these years. She looked up as Miriah's guard arranged themselves outside and saw Miriah's dark hair as they parted for her to enter. "Good morning," Lana said, and saw Miriah's eyes widen.

"Lana, you look stunning!" Miriah turned and then heard Lana exclaim at Corso's new look. "Seems like everyone gets to do something different on this mission," she said with a laugh. They had just settled when Aric and Maura entered, and Aric stopped short.

"Cor, buddy, you'd have made a good trooper," he finally said, but his eyes were on Lana. "Good to see we're all ready to get going. I've got the latest on the mission specs, already sent to your datapads. Team will be me and Maura, Corso and Mir, Lana and Torian. We will have a Jedi healer, just not sure which one right now. On Rishi, we have three dozen crates to haul into the ship, shouldn't take too long, and they'll give us the coordinates to Copero."

"I hate being in the dark until then, but I guess we have no choice," Torian added, having just slipped into the room after meeting Caly for breakfast. "I figure Corso and I can load up, since we need to have Aric out of sight, we'll list Maura as our engine specialist and the Commander as our computer specialist. Aric the pilot, and me as the captain, since I listed myself when I took the bid."

"Sounds right," Aric grunted. He wasn't happy with someone so young being in charge, but he had to admit that Torian had done the ground work on this. They worked out the times, and when they all stood, Miriah felt stronger than she had even earlier. They agreed to meet in four hours at the hangar, and as they started to leave, Miriah turned to Lana.

"I don't want to be in your business, but Lana, are you okay with all of this?" Miriah asked, and gazed into the icy blue eyes that met hers.

"I am perfectly fine. In fact, I feel more like my youthful self than I have in many years," Lana assured her friend. "I want to go see the new baby, make sure everything is covered here, and I'll see you at the hangar." Lana impulsively hugged Miriah, and they both giggled as they parted. Corso put his arm around his wife.

"She looks very pretty with her hair that way," he commented. "Not as beautiful as you, but very nice." Miriah nudged him with her elbow and they started out. "How are you feeling?"

"Actually I have a little more energy now. I feel a little like I'm taking advantage of Mags, but I know she'd do whatever was necessary to help." They had moved out into the war room now. "I want to go see Mom," she told Aric as the troopers took up their positions around her, and they made their way out across the courtyard.

Four hours later, they convened at the hangar. The ship had been altered, Hylo had a new registry in place, and it was fueled and ready. Calypso hugged her parents, squeezing her mom a little longer than usual, before turning to Torian. "They're together, we aren't," she said. "Now I see why people say it's so hard to be with soldiers. There's always some mission, some objective, that pulls couples apart, even if it's only a short separation."

"Aww, sweetheart," Torian said. "That's why I gave you the ring. Whenever you miss me, you can see it and know that wherever I am, I'm yours." They hugged and Caly sniffed, but wouldn't raise her head to look at him. When Miriah and Corso started for the ramp, he took a risk and pulled her face to his. Their kiss was quick, but their contact settled them both, and Torian followed them to the ship. Aric and Maura were already aboard.

"Is our Jedi on board?" Miriah asked, and heard her answer. "Mags! You..."

"I am definitely coming on this mission. Besides, you needed a full crew of eight, and Felix can load crates. He has never been on Rishi, so no need for a disguise. It's what I want, Mir." With a sigh, Miriah had to admit that she was relieved to have both her sisters with her. She motioned to Aric, who stood at the entrance to the bridge.

"Let's go!"


	5. Chapter 5

Aric ducked his head to look out the loading ramp of the ship. Corso and Felix guided the repulsor sleds up to offload the crates, then turned them around, heading for another load. He wiped the gathered sweat from his forehead, and grunted. He'd forgotten how heavy and wet the air felt here, and it really didn't work with fur. He saw about a dozen more crates, and sighed. So far, the trip had been uneventful, except for Miriah running a slight fever after her transfusion. Mags assured them all that it was a normal reaction, and Miriah looked fine today. Still, having the boss not at a hundred percent worried him. Everything else had gone perfectly to plan, and even now, Lana was plotting their course to Copero. He only hoped that Miriah was stable by then, and that everyone else was ready.

Corso followed the sled down to the edge of the deck and stared out over the sand. It's really hot, he thought, and wondered how it would feel to just run out into the water. That brought his mind to his favorite fantasy of Miriah on the beach, and before it totally distracted him, he dragged his thoughts to the mission. She's not well, he thought, and looked back into the ship, knowing she was in their quarters where it was cool and quiet. Mags says this is normal, but I don't like it, he thought. Not one little bit. He saw the next sled heading his way, and nodded at Felix, who grabbed the other side. Only a little longer, he cheered himself by thinking. Then I can go be with Mir and see that she's hydrating and resting. He glanced once more at the sparkling, brilliant blue water before disappearing into the cargo hold again, letting his sigh slowly out through his pursed lips.

Miriah was in her bed, the soft blanket pulled close around her, her sisters sprawled on either side. "I don't feel that bad," she started, but Mags only held her hand up.

"She's going to be okay by the time we reach Copero, right?" Maura asked, and again Mags hand went up.

"I really should go take..."

"You both should be quiet and still and enjoy this cool, comfortable cabin. I can tell Felix is hot and tired, and Corso is as well. Lana is taking them some water now, and they are almost done loading up. Then, we have two day's flight, from the map that Lana uploaded to the navcomp." Her sisters fell quiet at that, at least for a couple of minutes.

"I still can't believe Cor cut his hair so short," Miriah said, and even she heard the wistfulness in her voice.

"He looks very different," Mags agreed. "I assume you have a disguise as well?"

"I do," Miriah confirmed. "No one will recognize me."

"I hope not," Maura said. "I don't want to give you any of my blood." Miriah nudged her with her foot, making them both giggle.

"Hush, you two. We need to be serious, get this..." Mags' words were muffled when the pillows hit her, and she had to laugh.

"Mags, honey. We love you dearly, and you know we laugh to ease stress," Maura said, pulling Magdalane into a hug. "We'll be serious when we need to be, but for now, I'm more worried about getting this frail thing," here she pulled on Miriah's leg, "well enough to carry through."

"You know, you don't have to do anything, Mir. We have enough with us to carry out the mission, bring Theron to justice, without you needing to get out of bed." Magdalane's observation only voiced what they all thought, that Miriah really didn't need the physical stress of hunting Theron on a strange world. They continued to debate the merits of the mission, not noticing that Miriah had stood on the far side of the bed until she spoke.

"I'm going to cook," she announced, and left them laughing as she made her way to the galley. She met Corso as he was looking for cold water, and pulled his sweating face to hers, searing his lips with a torrid kiss. He looked at her with amazement.

"You're feeling better?" he asked softly, and saw in her eyes that she was. He was leaning in to kiss her when the ramp banged shut, making them jump, Miriah toward Corso, him gathering her in his arms. "Sorry," he told her, pulling away, aware that he was still sweating after his work on the beach.

"You smell of sun and sea," she murmured, and closed her eyes, holding onto him.

"Next time we're here, it's vacation time," he growled, his thoughts glowing in his eyes.

"Everybody get settled, I'm lifting off," Aric called, and Corso drew his wife to the sofa, pulling a seat belt around them both. Mags and Maura slid in across from them just as the slight shimmy of the ship signaled their ascent.

Torian took up the second chair on the bridge. "Everything is secured, we should be on Copero in about forty-four standard hours. We have a code to transmit, then we'll get a second code to land," he told Aric, who concentrated on lifting the vessel out of the atmosphere of Rishi. "I can do this for a bit, so you can take a break," the young man offered, gaining him a sharp glare from the Cathar. When Aric said nothing, Torian shrugged and turned his attention to the map hovering above the instruments. He had just managed to figure out where the next jump should be when Aric growled.

"I just want you to know that Calypso is very special to me. I was there when Corso and Mir found her, overheated and sick in an escape pod on Oricon." Slowly, Aric rose from the pilot's seat, the hyperdrive engaged. "I saw the ring. It better just be a token, because if I have any idea that you're taking certain...liberties...I can promise you, Corso will be the least of your worries." Without another word, Aric made his way to the back of the ship, leaving Torian to think on his words.

Maura saw Aric as he moved toward her, and wondered what had happened on the bridge. When he pulled her into his lap, she decided to just go with it, and snuggled to him. Miriah had food almost ready, and they were all looking forward to it. She was about to ask her mate what he was bugged about when Miriah announced dinner, so it was lost in the shuffle to the dining area, but she made a mental note to ask later.

Miriah made the midnight jump and started back to their quarters, not surprised at all when Corso stood at the door, waiting for her. "We'll need to make a few more jumps, but this one is good for six hours," she told him, and he nodded. He didn't really care, as long as she was coming back to bed. They had talked about the Chiss some, and about Theron, but he knew she was feeling unprepared for the chase. He didn't know how to help, either. He'd thought about it, long and hard, and finally just had to let it go. Until they were on Copero, none of them would know exactly what they were up against. They were almost to their bed when a high priority message alert sounded and Miriah was drawn to the main holo viewer. Devin's image shimmered and stabilized, and she could see he had news that couldn't wait. "What's wrong, son?" she asked, seeing him draw up to his full height.

"We just were informed that Empress Acina has died," he said, and she could tell he'd felt a great force shift. "Apparently, she tried to sit on the throne of Iokath, the one the Scions said only you could occupy, and it killed her." He looked at her intently for a few seconds, and when she said nothing, he continued. "I'm sorry, Mom. I know you considered her an ally of sorts."

Corso watched the play of emotions on his wife's face, ending with one of peace. "She was, and she'll be remembered," Miriah said. They had a short conversation about the daily workings of the Alliance before they disconnected, the ship ready for hyperspace. Miriah turned into his arms, accepting his comfort before moving him into their quarters. He started to speak, but her fingers, soft on his lips, stopped him and he only held her instead, the ship trembling slightly as it engaged the hyperdrive.

Mags had felt the shift as well, and Devin had already spoken to her, trying to see if they were where the transmission would go through. Now, she knelt at the foot of the bed, deep in meditation. Once she felt centered again, she let herself drift back to consciousness, only to see Felix peering at her, his eyes drinking her in. "I've been waiting for you, love. Come back to bed and keep me warm," he teased, and she smiled at him. This mission should have been a straightforward hunt for a traitor, but with Miriah's lingering transfusion effects and now the death of the leader of the Sith Empire, there were new wrinkles in everything, and it made Mags nervous. Felix knew she was wary, but hoped to at least get her to talk to him about it. She nestled against him, and once surrounded by his arms, felt herself getting sleepy rather than talking. That's okay, Felix thought. At least she's here.

By the time they were only a few hours from Copero, Miriah had perfected her disguise. She put the finishing touches on her hair and sauntered out of the refresher. She was admiring her reflection in the long mirror on the closet door when Corso breezed in, catching himself with a quick swear. "Mir?" he asked, his voice incredulous.

"Whaddya think?" she replied, inspecting the short, spiked blonde wig. "With these," she slipped on bladed, dark glasses, "I think I can pass right in front of Theron and he'd not bat an eye." She wore a dark green flight jumpsuit, the zipper too low for Corso's comfort, and heavy laced up boots. Her fair complexion fit the blonde hair, and with her silver eyes hidden, she was indeed very well disguised.

"I wouldn't have known you," Corso confessed. "Other than the fact that you're the same size, you look totally different than your usual." He crossed to her, but before he could kiss her, they heard someone exclaim at the door.

"Damn, Mir! That's a great look!" Aric said, grinning. "We should be ready to approach Copero in just a few minutes, at least for the first checkpoint. Figured you'd want to be on hand for that."

"Right behind you," Miriah said, taking Corso's arm. They made their way to the bridge, and were hailed by an automated checkpoint. Once the code was given, and the ship scanned, they were given the code for the next checkpoint. They ran through the plan, which was to offload the cargo and make their way into the trading area just adjacent to the landing fields. They only had clearance for thirty-six hours, after that, they'd be considered hostiles. The time limitation made them all nervous, and they had attempted to plan for all contingencies. As they approached the second checkpoint, Aric drew Corso aside.

"I think we should split up. Give us more opportunity to find Theron before he gets suspicious," he said, and saw Corso's eyebrows draw together in a frown.

"How do you suggest we do that? Because I'm not letting Mir out of my sight," he replied.

"I think you, Mir, and Lana together is a good team. I'll lead Maura and Torian, leaving Mags and Felix here with a plan to get out if we get detained," Aric explained. "We just don't know how much Saganu has told anyone here, and given our luck, he's going to have a team waiting with drawn weapons." Aric looked around them, then back at Corso. "Agreed?"

Corso thought for a few moments before nodding. "Agreed. But you have to tell Mir there's a change of plans." Aric took a moment to grind his teeth before nodding.

Torian kept his seat on the bridge, letting the others yell and argue about the mission. He took out the holo of Caly, just for a moment, he told himself. He stared at her image and swallowed hard. It was going to be a long two years before she was old enough to claim. He often wondered how many other males were subtly courting her, trying to weasel their way in despite his declaration of intent toward her with her parents. He had noticed that the idle talk about her had shut down in the barracks, the soldiers afraid of stepping over the line. He felt good about his relationship with her parents, at least as long as this mission went off as it should. He shut down the holo and put his boots on the deck. Just a few more days, love. We'll be home soon.

The freighter touched down on a light-filled field, and the ground crew hustled to hook up the power units and start the refueling. They waited for the air lock to cycle, and when the ramp was in place, the group set their feet on Copero. Miriah's soft sigh seemed to speak for the group. The brilliant sun shone down on a field of golden grasses, bright blue and red canopies, and what appeared to be a vibrant marketplace, the vendor kiosks holding a wide variety of merchandise.

"It's really pretty here," Lana murmured, her hair under a green wig. She started forward and was stopped by a Chiss in a uniform.

"You'll be allowed to unload shortly," he informed them, standing between them and the other area. The standoff remained until the officer got a nod from someone behind them, and he moved, allowing them to move more freely. They had started to move the crates from the hold when a human female approached, wearing the uniform of the Chiss. Aric turned a confused look to Torian, who shrugged. The woman moved in front of Lana, and stood at parade rest.

"Lieutenant Raina Temple, of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force, at your service, Commander."


	6. Chapter 6

Lana smirked as Miriah moved toward the Chiss representative. "It's nice to meet you, Raina. I am assuming that you are Saganu's liaison?"

Raina blushed hotly, realizing her error. "I am, I'll be pleased to get Theron Shan off our worlds."

"As will we," Lana murmured, and Miriah glanced at her friend, seeing the ice in her eyes. They were joined by Aric and Corso, and Miriah introduced them.

"Our target is being protected by Syndic Zenta, of House Inrokini, in exchange for Alliance secrets," Raina said, moving into the shade of the frieghter. "Zenta violated Ascendency orders when she sheltered Theron, and now she's ignoring communications."

"So we're taking out traitors to both our respective governments?" Lana asked, her curiosity peaked.

"Zenta has the backing of the Inrokini, so we can't capture Theron without igniting a political war," Raina explained. Miriah looked up into the city, trying to use the force to determine if Theron was truly there.

"We had planned to split up and search," Aric explained. "I'm guessing there's no need for that now?"

"I will lead you to Zenta, who will produce Theron if she wants to live. One other thing, Zenta is protected by a force user named Valss, whom she rescued and has mentored. He will protect her with his life, and we'll probably have to kill him to get to her." Raina checked her blaster and walked to the edge of the shade. "The Inrokini guards will be hostiles. We'll have to dispatch them as we come across them."

Miriah watched the woman as she talked. She sensed no deception, and turned slightly to Mags, who gave a small shake of her head. "Okay, Raina. I'm assuming that we take everyone, since the Inrokini will be watching the landing fields, so Mags and Felix, grab your gear. Let's get moving, we have a short window here."

"Agreed," Raina responded. Silently they started up the path, and when they'd almost reached the pavilions, they veered off into a narrow alleyway. "We can follow the back alleys for a bit, minimize exposure and hopefully the need to kill Chiss." Miriah nodded, and they slipped into a single file, quickly moving line, Aric on the tail end, his eyes watching for any enemies. He wasn't happy with the change in tactical plans, and now hoped they hadn't followed this emissary into a trap.

Devin sat at his mother's desk, fielding the ever present stream of requests and updates. He had gotten a short message from his Aunt Mags that they were on Copero, but he didn't want to distract his mom with anything while she was in enemy territory. He was beginning to understand why his mom was so tired, with the flow of information and the people who came by. Colonel Boleme was doing the day to day ops, and General Dinn had told him she was available, but Solasta had just gone home with her newborn, so he wasn't going to ask her anything if he could help it. He was just finishing a call with Senya on Zakuul when Caly's head popped around the door frame. "Hey, squirt," he teased her. "Getting ready for school?"

"Yeah, just went to do some shopping. I only have one session left before my internship, so I didn't need much, but I went ahead and got the uniforms and required kitchen tools for it. Do you think Mom will mind?" Caly came fully into the office, a few bags in her hands.

"I'm sure she's fine with it," Devin said, his smile genuine. "I got a message from Mags, they're safe on Copero."

Caly sighed. "Good. I hate it when everybody's gone."

Devin laughed. "You just want your boyfriend home," he said, and saw his sister blush. "Hey, Cal? You guys are being cautious, right? I mean, I know Torian is an honorable guy, but he still is male. He's not pressuring you to do anything you're not ready for, is he?" He hated bringing up this subject but he loved his sister too much not to say something.

Caly's face grew even redder. "Dev, I promise you. If I ever feel pressured, I'll talk to someone about it." She was so embarrassed that she diverted her eyes, trying to control her emotions, and played with the ring on her finger.

"So, what's with the ring?" Devin asked, keeping his tone light but dreading the answer.

"Torian says it's a promise that he loves me," Caly answered, and he knew she was being truthful.

"You know I love you, right?" Devin had a brief flash of the future in his conversation with his sister, and saw Merida's smiling face in his mind.

"Love you, too, brother. Is it as crazy in here as it appears to be?" she asked. The normally pristine desk was covered in datapads and various reports, and Devin grimaced.

"I am looking forward to handing this all back to Mom and Lana." Soon, he hoped.

Miriah wiped the sheen of sweat from her face, and surveyed the group. They'd stopped for water, and it looked as if everyone was holding up, even Mags. She caught Aric's eye, and he nodded at her. So far, they'd moved at a fast pace, only having to kill two guards so far. Raina Temple was very quick with a blaster, and unless Miriah was mistaken, had use of the force, at least a knowledge of it. Their guide now discreetly poked her head around a wall, and withdrew quickly. "We may have a problem," she stated, turning toward the group.

"What's ahead of us?" Corso asked, and from the look on the lieutenant's face, it was not good.

"Just a giant droid," she answered, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Oh, no worries," Aric said, pulling his cannon off his back. "I always love killing giant droids." Maura chuckled, as did Miriah, and when Raina looked at the group, they were all smiling. Raina shook her head, but figured this group had to have a lot of combat experience.

"I'll get his attention. Torian, you come with me, we'll keep him focused on us. Miriah, darlin', please stay at max range and shoot. Please?" Corso said, and was rewarded with her nod. Before Raina could ask her role, Corso had used a small jetpack, ramming into the droid hard enough to make it stumble a few steps, and the battle was on. Magdalane entered a force trace, sending minor healing to anyone hit by the droid's heat beam or winged from one of the small droids who raced to help the large one. Felix and Maura took out the smaller ones before much damage could be done, and little by little, the large droid began to fall. Miriah did as Corso asked, and stayed close to Mags, her blaster glowing in her gloved hands by the time the droid fell with a massive clatter.

Miriah rushed to Corso's side, and led him to the back of the area, getting him to sit propped up on a crumbling wall. He was still breathing heavily and gratefully took the bottle of water Miriah pressed into his hand, handing it back empty. "Are you injured?" she asked him, and was reassured by his negative head shake.

"I may be getting too old for this," he admitted with a chuckle. "That took way longer than I figured it would." Miriah wiped his dirt streaked face with a cool cloth, worry in her eyes. "I'm fine, darlin'. Just tired," he reassured her, taking her hand in his and softly kissing her fingers.

"Let's get some energy bars for them both," Aric said, pointing at Torian. "We need to recover a few minutes, let our weapons cool down anyway." Crouching beside his friend, he asked, "No chest pain, right? You okay, Cor?"

"Absolutely," Corso answered, still holding Miriah's hand over his heart. "Ticker's just fine. If everything in this place has as much strength, we may need to switch ammo."

"Yeah, Maura and I switched plasma loads at the end there, I agree we need to make sure we're using optimal tactics against these guys." They sat there as Corso regained his normal breathing, and when he closed his eyes for a moment, Aric met Miriah's worried ones. If he needs a few minutes, then we wait a few minutes, Aric thought, but next time, it's going to be the kid who takes the brunt.

Torian took a few minutes to gather himself as well, Lana attending to him as he drank and ate. Mags had checked him over, but he really felt fine. His concern was for his future father in law, but he knew better than to say anything. Instead, he chewed his energy bar and visually checked the area for an advantage, but saw none.

After several minutes, Raina approached Miriah and Corso. "We need to be moving," she said. "With that sentry droid down, it will only be a few minutes until it's noticed and a repair team sent out." Corso jumped up, surprising his wife.

"I'm ready," he stated, and Miriah had to admit he looked rested and well. With a shrug, she helped police the area and was falling in behind Corso when she felt a tug on her arm. Lana looked distraught, and Miriah let the others go ahead to talk to her friend.

"I think these disguises," she pulled the wig off and let her natural hair fall free, "are slowing us down. At this point, it doesn't matter if anyone sees us."

"You're right," Miriah said, pulling her own wig from her head, surprised at the cool rush of air over her sweaty scalp. "Oh, Lana, you're a genius. I didn't even realize how hot it was until it was gone!" They quickly rejoined the others, and Corso did a double take at his wife.

"Are you sure?" was all he said, and she nodded. They kept up with the young lieutenant pretty well, and when they'd gone another half hour, they stopped behind her, gathering close under some trees.

"Ahead is the palace, but Saganu says his contacts are telling him that we will find Zenta in her private hangar, preparing to escape Copero. It's possible that Shan is with her." Raina was grateful to accept water from Torian, giving him a brilliant smile. "We'll encounter a lot of workers there, so there will be quite a bit of combat. Miss Beniko, your lightsaber will be very useful, as will blasters. Not so sure about the cannons, but maybe just one of you with it." Aric nodded to Maura, he'd rather her use the cannon's range to stay out of direct combat.

"Torian, if you'll take point, I'll provide close support," Corso offered, and saw Torian stand up straighter.

"Glad to," he responded quickly, squaring his shoulders. Miriah gave him a weak smile, and turned worried eyes to her husband, who seemed his normal self. Torian could see them whispering, but only a few seconds later, they seemed content.

"Sugar, please, if you're not feeling well, go back to the ship. I can't lose you, ever!" Miriah whispered in Corso's ear.

"I feel fine, really. I just didn't fare as well against the droid as I thought I might, and I figured that I might be better as support." Miriah looked at him with narrowed eyes, not sure if she believed he was okay, but finally just kissed his cheek and nodded.

Raina led them into the hangar area, where they immediately encountered enemies. They fought the different groups as they came upon them, finally spotting Syndic Zenta. She climbed ever higher in the enclosure, sending small groups of workers their way as they ascended. When there was no one left but her, she fought valiantly, finally dropping to her knees. Raina pulled out her holo and keyed it, and they waited for the image, Zenta breathing heavily, Magdalane healing her just enough to control the bleeding.

"I see you've met our traitor. Have you secured yours?" Aristocra Saganu's words echoed in the space.

"He's gone!" Zenta spit out. "It seems Theron Shan has betrayed us both. He wasn't seeking refuge on Copero, he was after the Chiss relic hidden here!" Zenta sat back on her heels and sent a grateful look to Mags.

"Does she mean...the holomap?" Raina asked.

"I'm going to need an explanation," Miriah said, holstering her blaster.

"Long ago, Chiss agents stole a holomap from the Sith Emperor, in case our deal with the Empire went sour. It shows the coordinates to the Emperor's greatest secrets." Saganu seemed to take the developments in stride, the only indication of his anger in the slight clipped tones of his speech.

"It's been hidden here on Copero, and only the highest ranking Chiss can access it," Syndic Zenta lamented. "Theron Shan knew this, and he used me!"

"Imagine that," Lana said dryly, and Miriah looked under her lashes at her friend, seeing the look of disgust on her face.

"He sliced into my personal logs to steal the map's location. Once he had what he needed, Theron took my best fighters and abandoned me." Zenta's words make Lana snort in derision, and now Miriah did give Lana a look. Lana had turned away and now took a few steps away to gather herself.

"What are his plans now?" Miriah asked, and before she'd finished talking, Zenta was shaking her head.

"Valss said he had a vision of Shan's victory. I hope to the stars that isn't true" Zenta fell forward a little and Mags took a step closer to her. "Commander, Shan has joined a group searching for a powerful weapon, one capable of destroying entire civilizations. They want to use it against you and the Alliance. That map will lead Theron right to it."

"That's enough, Zenta. I'll send a team for you. Commander, you must stop Theron Shan from getting that map!" The holo went dark and Raina put it in her pocket.

"They will have taken it to the uppermost ledge in the city, to use the transmitter there to channel the sunlight at just the right time to reveal the planet," Sendac said, and they could all hear her voice growing weaker. Mags covered her with force light, and sent a slight nod to Miriah.

"We don't have much time," Miriah said, and with that, Raina started off again, her pace quick and sure. We have to stop this, right now, Miriah thought, and set out behind their guide, the group moving out as one to the narrowed trail up the side of the cliff.


	7. Chapter 7

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Miriah rushed to the elevator, and pressed the button several times, bouncing on the balls of her feet. He's so close, I can feel him in the force. He's nervous and very tired. Hmm, wonder what, or who, he's been doing to make him so weary. C'mon, c'mon, she thought.

Corso reached her and started to put his hand on her shoulder, but stopped himself. She's so keyed up, she might punch me, he realized, and steadied himself. He could hear her muttering at the elevator, and silently hoped Theron would be on it when the doors opened. Behind him, Lana's voice sounded cold with hate. "I have the map coordinates, Commander."

"Good. We're not letting Theron escape again," Miriah replied, and Lana nodded her agreement. They hurried up a steep path, leading them through a maze and out to where they could see Theron and a Chiss male standing in the door of a transport ship. Raina stopped and leveled her rifle at them, squeezing off a shot that bounced off the side of the ship. They saw the two men talking, and then the Chiss launched himself from the ship with the force, landing in front of them. Dammit, Miriah thought, and pulled her blaster from her hip. Aric and Maura heated up their cannons but before anyone could even speak, Torian launched himself at the blue force user.

Lana spotted Theron, and gathered her force power, leaping to the hovering ship. Her foot had barely touched the rock when the ship moved away, and she glared into Theron's eyes. He returned her look as long as he could, and when the side door slid closed, she swore. Turning to the battle below her, she bellowed her rage as she jumped into the battle, the anger she felt at Theron channeling into pure viciousness. She battled Torian for the attention of Valss, her lightsaber crackling with each contact, her face a mask of fury. I've had enough, of the deceptions, the lies. Theron uses people, and when he can't get anything else, he moves on, she thought, slashing Valss with her right hand, pushing force energy at him with her other hand. I will kill him, she vowed.

Torian saw Lana's unbridled anger, and let her take the lead with Valss. Aric and Maura's cannons boomed, and he could hear the particular sound of Miriah's blaster. After he listened, he could hear the soft snick sound of the rifle Corso wielded. Raina's blaster was silent, but when he looked around, he saw her beside Mags, getting medical care for what appeared to be a minor wound.

When Valss finally fell, Lana's lightsaber retracting from his chest, they all sighed with relief. It had been a long battle, in fact all the ones they'd faced on Copero were tough, and they felt the fatigue of their day. Corso put his arm around Miriah and she looked up at him. "He got away. Again." Corso only nodded, seeing the anger in his wife's eyes, and knowing the emotion was shared with the group.

Torian had offered to jog back to the ship and pick them up, and the group agreed. He was almost back to the landing field when he felt his datapad vibrate. Ascending the ramp, he pulled it from his pocket and saw the message that Caly had just sent. He couldn't keep the smile from his face, and when he'd started the preflight engines, he responded to her message, telling her that they'd be home soon.

Miriah fumed and paced, Corso watching her, worried. She wanted that traitor dead, she realized, no matter what he might be able to tell them. She looked at the group around them, and was thankful that they'd had only minor injuries. When the battle fury began to leave her and she started to shake from the adrenaline, Miriah sought the best comfort she knew, Corso's arms. He welcomed her gladly, hugging her tightly against him. They were still together when Torian brought the ship down in the clearing where they'd fought Valss, and they all gratefully boarded, few words spoken.

Mags went to the medbay to stow her gear bag, Felix on her heels. "Let's go to our quarters," he whispered to her. "A hot shower and some rest would do us both good. I'm not used to this," he admitted, and she smiled at him.

"Me, either," she confirmed, and they quietly made their way down the hall. When they were clean and warm, they snuggled together, Felix rubbing his wife's back as she relaxed into sleep. He could still feel every bone as his hand caressed her, and felt guilty. He'd caused her horrible weight loss and knew she was still fragile. Mags sighed and got closer, and Felix kissed her head. I'll never forgive myself, he thought, and I'm so thankful that I'm holding her now. With that, he closed his eyes, her force aura whispering over his skin lulling him as well.

Caly had been sitting in her mother's office when she'd messaged Torian, and now she beamed a smile at Devin. "They're coming home," she said, overjoyed that she'd be with all of them soom.

"Do they have Theron?" Devin asked, his brow furrowed. "Wait, stupid question. He wouldn't have broadcast that on a message." Instead, he reached for his connection with his mother, who he could feel was angry. _Do you have him?_

 _No,_ she answered. _He got away again!_ Miriah still couldn't believe it, and slapped her hand on the counter in the galley. She'd not spoken since the battle ended, afraid her anger would burst out and she'd say something that couldn't be forgotten. She had boarded and immediately headed for the galley, and now she didn't even know why. She was contemplating what she could do when she heard a yowl of anguish and the distinct sound of metal rending, and rushed out to the main part of the ship. "What the hell was that?" she demanded, and Aric pointed to the hold area. They all rushed to the doorway, and stopped short. Lana had taken a livestock pen, left over from when they'd brought Miriah's veractyl to Odessen, and bent it into a large ball with the force, her eyes glowing bright amber, her rage making her oblivious to them. Everyone left Miriah to deal with her, knowing no one else would reach her. "Lana," Miriah said, and instantly the other woman's eyes returned to their normal blue, her face relaxed, and Miriah saw her friend turn to her.

"I wanted to kill him," Lana said, and blew out a breath. "I felt so humiliated to see who he'd been with. She told everyone, and I wanted to kill her, too."

"Right there with you," Miriah agreed. "When Saganu asked us to eliminate her, I was very tempted."

"And why did we bring Raina with us? Are the Chiss now a part of the Alliance?" Lana asked.

"I don't know yet. She just boarded with us. Maybe they'll send a ship for her?" Miriah took a step closer. "We will get him, Lana. He can't run forever. Eventually, someone will see him for the snake he is and turn him in for the bounty I will place on him." Miriah placed her hand on Lana's arm. "Can I ask you something?" At Lana's nod, Miriah continued. "Are you really okay? I mean, the whole cavalier attitude about dating and being free? I think you still have some feelings for Theron, even if you don't want to acknowledge them."

Lana whirled around to face Miriah. "The only feelings I have are hatred. I hate him for doing this to me, to us. I hate that he has tried to kill you, not just once. I hate that he breathes the same air as I do!" She lifted the two ton cage that she'd mangled and slammed it to the floor, making the ship vibrate.

"Careful, that's a very thin line you walk between love and hate," Miriah said, and left Lana alone to think.

Maura showed Raina to her quarters and returned to Aric, sitting in the lounge area. He was relaxed, and pulled his wife to him. "Tough day," he murmured, feeling her nod against him. "Is Lana okay?"

"I suppose, she went to her quarters after her force show," Maura said, closing her eyes. She could hear Miriah in the galley, and smelled dinner cooking. "I can't blame her, though. I'd be ripping things apart, too, if I were in her shoes."

"Never happen," Aric assured her. "I could never not be with you, hon. There must be something driving Theron. He looked so different today."

"Maybe we'll find out soon," Maura answered, then yawned. Aric told her to lie down and he let out a soothing, low purr, one he knew would put her to sleep. They were all tired, he thought, and closed his own eyes.

Miriah had begun their meal slamming the cookware around on the countertops and throwing things in the small sink. Now, she'd settled down and had everything cooking. Corso took the lull in the noise to check in on her, and found her sitting at the table, her head in her hands. He joined her, letting her be quiet until she wanted to talk. When she did speak, he was not prepared for her words. "I will be placing a bounty on Theron Shan as soon as we return home," she told him, her voice calm.

"Sounds like the next logical step," Corso told her. He put his hand on her shoulder, feeling the tension there.

"Also, as soon as we've eaten, we will be letting the others clean up. I require you in… other ways," she said, and Corso's grin couldn't be contained. He swallowed a few times before answering.

"And how soon will the food be ready?" he asked, thinking it couldn't be soon enough.

Lana lay on her bed, unsure if she wanted to cry or sleep. When she'd heard that Theron had been with that Chiss woman, she had felt a fury that she'd never known before. But then she recalled the look he'd given her from the ship. He looked tired, and sad, she thought. There was something else there, but she refused to give it a name. Turning over again, she sighed deeply. What if he's on a mission, one he couldn't tell me or anyone about? No, she thought. If that were the case, Miriah or I would have been told about it. She heard the galley bell, and sat up. The boss was cooking, that was her therapy. And she's very good at it, Lana thought. Suddenly her burden seemed lighter, and she took a deep breath. Maybe I'll be okay, she reflected, and made her way to the others.

Corso knelt on their bed, Miriah back against his chest, and caught a glimpse of their reflection in the mirror she'd left out earlier. Her head was thrown back on his shoulder, and she trembled against him. The contrast of his bronzed skin against the silky pale of Miriah's naked body was mesmerizing, and when he slowly brushed his palms over her, she shook with need, her muscles clenching around him. He could see her most recent scars, and had a flash of anger before her breathy sighs regained his attention. He moved slowly against her, fighting his own need, wanting to drive the bad thoughts from her mind. He watched in the mirror, walking his fingertips from where they were joined up to her throat, seeing the pleasure he gave her. He'd do anything for her, he thought, anything to make her happy. When she begged, he finally let her fall, and when he held her in his arms, both exhausted and satisfied, he recalled his earlier thought. Anything.

Devin finally got home, after dealing with another day of Alliance administration. He kissed his wife, his daughter, and played with his son, and when Mia went to find him for dinner, he wearily rose from the floor, picking Declan up as he did. "I don't know who will be happier when Mom and Lana are home, me or Caly," he joked, and Mia chuckled.

"There's a lot more to running the Alliance than just sitting behind the desk. Miriah and Lana make it look easy." She had Declan in his chair, and Merida in her carrier on the chair, so they were all set.

"You make all this look easy, too," Devin told her. "Thank you, sweetheart, for all you do." Mia blushed but looked happy, feeding Dec and herself. I have a whole new appreciation for the women in our lives, he thought.

Calypso lay in her pod, reading the message Torian had sent her between hyperspace jumps. _Caly, love. Things went well. I hope you had a good week so far. When I return, we can hopefully have a real date. I think of you all the time. I miss your laugh, the way you wink at me, your lips. Especially your lips. Sleep well, and I'll see you soon._ She sighed and touched her bottom lip with her fingers. I can't wait, either, she thought, and put the datapad on her desk.

Raina was restless, in her unfamiliar surroundings. She had realized that Saganu had not made it clear that she would be the Chiss representative in the Alliance, and she wasn't sure how to approach that subject. Her limited force ability told her that this group only wanted to return to Odessen, to home. She had loved the shower, and for the first time in forever, was full and comfortable. She decided to get into bed, and when she pulled the warm blanket around her, her eyes closed without her thinking about it. Whatever we need to do, she thought, will wait.


	8. Chapter 8

Calypso lay back on the blanket she'd spread out earlier, her picnic consumed and her refuse put away. She was just outside the near landing fields, hoping to catch the first glimpse of the _Windwalker_ as it entered the atmosphere. She had spent her week with her brothers and their families, and with Sarai, but she missed her parents almost as much as she missed Torian. Her eyes closed, she almost missed the little pop of sound, and for a millisecond she wondered what it was. Her eyes opened slowly and she could see a small object coming through the sky. She tried to figure out what it was, when she heard two more pops. Escape pods, she realized, and set out at a dead run to the hangar.

Aric had already relayed the info to Miriah that they'd lost some fuel in their hyperspace run, and would barely make the orbital station over Odessen. He limped the freighter to the dock, and saw the ground crew rush to service the Commander's ship. He was running the numbers on their fuel again, and they still didn't add up. He was still puzzling over his calculations when he heard the flight control officer say his name. "Yes?" he replied.

"We've found the problem, and you need to get away from this dock asap!" the officer relayed.

"Why? The Commander is on the station," Aric said, noting the panic in the flight controller's voice.

"There's enough explosive stored in this tank to take out the whole station, and the estimate on it's detonation is six minutes. You need to leave, now!" Aric stood and quickly keyed his relay.

"Mir? Hurry back, it's urgent," he said, not wanting to panic anyone, but at the same time, clearing the way to the escape pods.

"I'm coming up the ramp now," Miriah replied, and stood in front of him. Aric had called everyone to the bridge.

"We have a bomb in the fuel tank," Aric said calmly. "We have less than six minutes to get away from the orbital station, or we take it out, too. I say, we take the ship into high orbit and hit the pods."

Miriah looked at Aric intently, taking in his words. After a few seconds of silence, she jumped as if she were startled. "Let's go then! Everyone, grab what you can't live without and gather at the pods!" She ran back to their quarters and grabbed her extra pair of boots and a gear bag, and ran into Corso at the door. "Sugar, there's no heroics here. Just grab your bag and let's get out of here." He only nodded and in seconds was right behind her at the pod. "There's nine of us now, so we need to take someone with us. I'm the smallest, and we'll have the most room."

"Good idea," he replied, and when Lana rushed up, he tapped her shoulder, explaining the situation.

"I'll try to not crush you," she told Miriah with a weak smile.

"I wonder..." Miriah started, but was stopped by Corso.

"No time for that now, I just felt the autopilot engage," he said, opening the pod, seeing that all the others had theirs open as well. He got Miriah inside, and handed her the bags, then helped Lana inside before wedging himself in the small space. He saw Aric as the Cathar was about to close the door on his pod and they nodded at each other. The pods would be auto ejected, and the mechanical voice told Corso that they were in pod four, and they would be ejected in forty-five seconds. It was the longest wait he could ever remember, and when the pod whooshed out of the doomed ship, he took a deep breath, hoping he could keep Miriah from being injured in any way. He knew he should be angry, but right now, just getting on the ground was the only thing he could worry about.

Caly ran into the hangar, and was met with Devin and Mia, the babies at Sarai's. He'd gotten a message from Mags, and had sent one to the medcenter. Now, they were hooking sleds to the multi passenger speeders, ready to race out to wherever the pods landed. "I know, Caly. They're going to be fine, just don't panic."

"Here, ride with me," Mia offered, and Caly didn't hesitate.

"It looks like the first one will drift just to the far landing fields," she told them as they set out. "The next two should be a little closer, then the last one appears to be drifting to the trees at the far end of this landing field." Devin only nodded, and Mia went straight when he veered left, and when the first pod got close enough to see the markings on the side, Devin headed toward it. Mia waited until the second had gotten a little closer, and saw that it was getting very close to the third. She watched with worried eyes as they managed to bounce off each other and land almost simultaneously. As they'd waited, Nico and Hylo had brought another sled, and pointed to the fourth. Mia nodded at them and started off to the pair, her hair blowing behind her and her sister in law hanging on tightly.

Miriah was squished between Lana and Corso, and closed her eyes as the rush of air around the pod got louder. Dammit, she thought. The burn of rage that she'd managed to suppress so far was working its way to the forefront, and she could almost feel fire coming out of her eyes. Corso felt her tense and murmured soft words of comfort to her, but she was just becoming more furious. By the time they crashed into the dirt, she wanted nothing more than to hit something, someone, anyone. Corso opened the hatch and tree limbs pushed him back, blocking their exit. "Hang on a sec, gotta move some debris," he called behind him. Lana focused on the exit and the branched flew away from the opening. Corso thanked Lana and scooted out, turning to help Miriah down, then Lana. "We must be a little ways from the base," he said, taking the bags Lana handed him from inside the pod.

"Listen, I hear speeders," Lana said, and they both grinned.

Miriah sat heavily on the new stump of the tree under the pod. "Who, when, and why. That's what I want to know, and I want to know it now!" Lana looked at her feet, but Corso had been contemplating what had happened.

"It could have been the Inrokini," he said. "Their crew serviced and refueled us when we landed. It would have been easy to slip something into the tank before they put the fuel in."

"Possible," Miriah conceded. She stood to pace. "For that matter, Saganu might have wanted to erase any involvement with the Alliance."

"Maybe," Lana said with a sigh. "But we all know who the most likely suspect is. He was the first one that came to my mind." Before anyone could reply, a speeder burst through the dense underbrush and into the small clearing created by the falling craft. As they greeted Nico and Hylo, the explosion of the _Windwalker_ burst above them, the wreckage burning up in the atmosphere before it could land. Corso put his arm around Miriah as she sniffed.

"I truly loved that ship," she muttered, and Corso pulled her closer. He was thankful they'd all gotten out, and now only wanted to check on the others before hiding Miriah away in the apartment for a few days. Maybe that would be all it would take to keep from shaking when he thought of what could have happened.

Aric pulled Maura out of the pod that had been the first to eject and land, and saw Devin waiting on them. "Hey, Dev," he said. "We didn't exactly make a great landing here."

"Did you see the other pods?" Maura asked, and Devin nodded.

"There are more teams going to them now," he assured Maura, and helped her over the churned rocks and debris to the speeder. "Let's get everyone back, then we can debrief." Maura got settled and was turning to Aric when Devin hugged her. "I'm so glad everyone is back," he said, and hugged his uncle before turning the speeder around and heading to the military hangar.

Mags and Felix were standing beside the downed escape pod, and Torian and Raina were throwing down gear bags. "Man, I thought we were in real trouble when the pods hit each other," Felix said, inspecting Mags to make sure she wasn't hurt.

"Me, too," Torian said. "Who do you think.."

"Wait on that," Mags told him. "Mir will want to do a full debrief when we're all up to it, and we can theorize then. Until that time, I'd keep it close." She smiled to soften her words, but inside, all she could do was worry that Miriah would go on a revenge rant, wanting to take on everything and everyone on Copero. They heard the approaching speeder and waited, and when Caly and Mia were close enough, Caly jumped from the speeder and into Torian's arms.

"I'm so glad everyone is okay," she whispered. "Where's Mom and Dad?"

"Everyone got out," Torian assured her. He had just let Caly's feet touch the ground when Raina stood beside him, her hand held out.

"Hi, I'm Raina Temple," the young woman said, but Caly only stared at her.

"This is Calypso Riggs," Torian explained. "The Commander's daughter, and my future wife."

"Pleased to meet you," Caly said, snapping back to herself. Mags and Felix settled on the sled, and Raina joined them, Torian sitting with Caly. The young woman wanted to see her parents, and Mia quickly turned them around to start back to the hangar. The final demise of the ship had produced a herd of onlookers and when they were finally inside the base, Caly turned to see Nico's speeder heading toward them, and saw her mother's hair. Thank the force, she thought, and felt Torian take her hand.

With no injuries apparent, Mia left to get the babies home while Devin gathered the group. "I know everyone has some thoughts about this. Mom, do you want to get this all down for the official record now, or after you've had a little time to recover?" he asked, seeing his mother's pale face as she looked around at the group, reassuring herself that everyone had indeed escaped.

"I think we all need a little down time," Aric offered. "We were ready for some hot food and our own beds even before this disaster."

"You're right, Aric. Let's do that," Miriah finally said, and Corso didn't need to hear any more. Miriah's guard, who had been waiting for their arrival, gathered around her, but before they left, Miriah asked Devin to please assigned Raina quarters. With that, the black armored troops started for the apartment. With their departure, the suddenly quieter hangar started to resume their normal duties, and the group dispersed, Devin guiding Raina to the quartermaster as his mother had requested.

Sarai had enjoyed her hour with the little ones, and when Mia arrived, they were both napping and she was able to explain to Sarai what had happened. "I'm going to miss that ship," she said with a sigh. "It was home away from home for a good many years. At least everyone got out."

"They did, and no injuries. Everyone is just stressed right now," Mia confirmed, and Sarai laughed.

"I would imagine Miriah's ready to make someone pay," she mused. "All three of my daughters, once again all in one piece." She turned to her kitchen, putting her kettle on the burner. "Don't get me wrong, I'm very thankful. I just wish they hadn't been on a mission at all."

"I know, it must be very stressful for you, Master Sarai." Mia smiled down at her daughter, her little bow lips pursed, her ebony hair growing longer. "I cannot imagine this little one in danger."

"You should," Sarai replied. "She is a force user, and a very strong one at that. Her father was much like her at this age." Sarai recounted the story of a very young Devin, revealing the Imperial agent who had intentions to harm his mother, the very day they'd received the _Windwalker_ from General Garza of the Republic special forces. He hasn't changed, Mia realized, and could only be thankful that this time, he'd been with her.

Miriah slowly lowered herself into the steaming water, letting out a sigh of relief. The stress combined with the jarring landing of the escape pod had her muscles tight and painful. Corso had taken a quick shower and gone for food, but Miriah was only hoping for relaxation, her stomach a little queasy from the events of the afternoon. I know my first thought is Theron, but I can also appreciate the fact that there were others who were not happy with our mission on Copero. She leaned her head back and activated the jets, closing her eyes. I need to talk to Lana, too. She feels responsible, somehow. She was considering going to her friend after her soak, but Corso returned. He'll insist I eat something, she thought. Maybe it's better to just wait until we're both more rested. She let her mind drift, the hot water draining her stress and letting her move more easily when Corso came to get her, and she was thankful.

Lana entered her apartment, having stopped for food on the way, and made herself comfortable on the sofa. She was still puzzled about Theron, two days after she'd seen him last. What is it that makes me doubt what I know to be true, she wondered. She knew for a fact that Theron had already tried to kill Miriah three times, but for some reason, Lana felt that this was not Theron's doing. She ate slowly, trying to let her mind work out its questions. She put the container on the low table beside the sofa, and before she could formulate another plan, she felt her eyes closing. The last thing she saw was the look Theron had given her as his ship lifted him away from her, and again, she wondered if he was okay, and also when Miriah would find him.


	9. Chapter 9

Corso lay very still, hoping to let his wife sleep. Again, he thought. We were almost killed again, and the one I know in my heart is behind this, escaped again. He almost sighed, but caught himself and exhaled slowly. Miriah lay snug against him, finally relaxed after being restless for hours. She denied any pain, but the bruises he could see in the dim light had made him even angrier. I have to find Theron, and kill him, he thought, and felt Miriah shiver. He pulled the soft covers closer, moving to his side to give her his body heat as well. No need for both of us to be awake, he figured, and tried to shut down his worry and focus on the fact that she was here, with him, safe. He had just pressed a kiss to her hair when she spoke. "Not exactly the way we usually spend our time awake in this bed," she murmured, and he had to chuckle.

"No, not exactly," he admitted. "I was lying here, plotting revenge."

"I know," she said softly. "It doesn't matter, sugar. We all got out, and I have some theories to share, but let's save them for tomorrow." She turned to him, nuzzling his neck. "We won. He didn't."

"But," he started, but Miriah's fingers on his lips silenced him. She threaded his fingers with hers and he could feel her breath feathering across his chest as she settled again, and he closed his eyes. His last thought was that he loved her, and she was safe. This time.

Lana shivered in the coolness of the conference room before going to the controls to increase the heat. If I'm cold, Miriah will freeze, she thought, and sat back down to her hot tea, steam rising from the cup. She hadn't slept well, waking several times during the night to jot down thoughts she'd had, none of which made any sense in the light of morning. Theron's eyes haunted her, the ones she'd looked into as he made his escape from Copero. She'd seen them right before she'd woken every single time over the night. She shook herself now, not wanting the thought of their enemy invading her mind. She had just decided to go for hot tea when Aric's tawny head came through the door, the outside windows already opaque. "I brought more," he said, nodding at her cup. Lana sat back down, and Maura joined them, a large bag of pastries in her hands.

"I figured if everyone had as lovely a night as we did, we all need some fuel this morning." Maura looked like she always did, but Aric had the thousand parsec stare of one who had little sleep, and even less peace of mind. "I saw Mir on the way, so we should be able to get started once Raina and Torian are here." Magdalane and Felix had quietly entered, and took a spot near Maura, both seeming uncomfortable with the place.

Raina had received the request to be present at the briefing, but she had no idea how to get there. She was standing outside the secured area, taking in the size of the main base, her eyes wide. She had known it was a large scale operation, but seeing it was a different matter. She was watching the morning come to life, the shift changes of the military personnel and the opening of the civilian businesses, when Torian tapped her shoulder, making her jump.

"Sorry, it looked like you might be a little lost," he told her with a smile. "I was just going in, follow me." He turned to the security guard, and they asked to see her encrypted message, only allowing her in under Torian's supervision. He nodded and they made their way inside, Raina still looking over her shoulders and all around at the sophisticated inner base. When they reached the conference room, Torian was embarrassed to see that they were the last to arrive.

"Yes, now, let's get started," Miriah said, sitting between her husband and her son, thankful for their warmth. "Aric, you have the timestamps."

With a nod, Aric projected the timeline he'd put together onto the large screen. "The windows of opportunity are large," he concluded.

"Indeed," Lana murmured.

"The way I see it, we basically have three different major suspects. The Inrokini, Theron Shan, or Saganu," Miriah said, her eyes glancing over at Raina, who had sat up straight.

"It's not Aristocra Saganu," Raina said quickly. "He has the utmost respect for you, Commander. He views you as one of the leaders in this universe who has been true to their word and has only freed the oppressed."

"Very well, then that leaves the Inrokini and Theron," Miriah said. "Lana, I sense your hesitation. What did you see, during that last encounter, that would make you doubt Theron?"

Lana stood, giving herself a chance to gather her thoughts. "He was, for lack of another identifier, sad. Dejected, depressed, unhappy." She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "No idea what exactly he was sad about. I mean, it could have been that he knew he'd slept with that..." she broke off and took a deep breath. "I just have this feeling that he's not behind this."

"I spent most of the night thinking about this," Aric said, and got murmurs of agreement all around. "Whoever set the device, had calculated our exact position when we almost ran out of fuel. If we'd been ten minutes in either direction, we would have been lost in space, or on the ground. As it was, we might have taken out the orbital station, except that anyone refueling us would have seen the device." He stood and rolled his shoulders back. "I think it was a deliberate mistake."

"How and why?" Miriah asked, her interest piqued.

"To give his handlers the impression he was attempting to kill you without doing so," Aric said, his eyes meeting the silver ones assessing him. Miriah broke the stare first.

"Raina, I know we haven't had much time to talk. I am guessing you are the Chiss liaison to the Alliance, am I right?" Miriah turned her steely gaze to the young woman, who blushed slightly.

"I am," Raina replied, encouraged that no one had shouted at her to leave as yet. "I have the confidence of..."

"I am sure you'll be able to let us know if Theron is seen again on a Chiss world," Miriah interrupted. "For now, I'd like to hear what might have come up since we've been gone, so you and Torian are dismissed. I'd like your written statements by tomorrow." With a nod, Raina stood, Torian behind her, and they passed through the door, Raina already wondering why she'd volunteered for this.

Torian walked with Raina outside. "Let's get some food, sit inside where it's warm, and talk," he suggested, and the young woman nodded at him. They had just sat when Torian saw Caly and waved. She greeted him with a huge smile, until her eyes landed on Raina, and it was as if the sun had gone away. He swallowed hard, but gamely motioned her over. He stood as she got closer, and pulled her to him, kissing her.

Caly saw Raina with Torian and her first thought was that he had found someone closer to his own age. She gamely tried to act as if it didn't matter, but she knew her face said everything her heart was thinking. She walked toward him, and when he kissed her, right there in front of everyone, and they all started clapping, she blushed to her toes. "Torian," she whispered, "that might not have been the best of moves."

"It's alright, love. Whatever punishment I get from your parents is worth it to see your faith in me restored," he said softly, and pulled out a chair for her to sit. "We just got here, and Raina is still learning the place," he said in his normal voice, but he held Caly's hand tightly in his.

"It's quite a place," Raina remarked, her eyes scanning the room. "Does everyone dine here?"

"Everyone who wants to," Torian assured her. "I'd guess most of the ones on duty are in here at least once a day. Caly used to work here, she knows better than I do." He squeezed Caly's hand and smiled at her as she spoke.

"The mess is free to anyone, anytime. We keep a skeleton crew overnight, for our third shift workers. It's a daunting task, feeding this many, but it's rewarding, too." Caly gamely smiled at Raina, and got one in return. "I'll be training to be a professional chef soon."

"That's amazing! I'm always in awe of how things get done. I know how to heat things up," Raina confessed, and they laughed. Raina was coming to understand there was no class structure, only people united for a common purpose. It was, she decided, very different than she thought, and very different than the Chiss way. Torian and Caly chatted, looking so much in love, she thought, and she felt her shoulders relax, the first time since the Commander had dismissed her from the briefing.

Magdalane had left the briefing and walked to her mother's apartment. Sarai was doing well, she realized, relieved that her mother had seemed to bounce back from her tiredness a few months ago. They sat down, Sarai with a fresh cup of tea, and chatted. "Merida is the spitting image of Miriah, don't you think?" Sarai asked now, and Mags nodded.

"I would think it would be hard to tell them apart in images," she agreed. "James is growing stronger in the force. I think I need to spend a little time with him, like I did with Devin."

"Ah, Devin," Sarai mused. "He's sure grown into his powers. He didn't love the administrative duties, but he did them," she chuckled. "How did you fare, going off on a mission?"

Magdalane thought for a moment. "It was good for us to get out, put our efforts into the hunt," Mags concluded. "Felix is in the workout area now, he realized he needed to be ready for more. I think we both kind of figured we wouldn't be welcome, but we didn't feel that way at all." She stood. "It was nice to be needed again."

"I understand, my dear. I felt the same after the Iokath mission," Sarai replied, putting her cup into the accompanying saucer with a light clink. "After that mission, I just cannot reconcile that Theron with what he's become today."

"Did he ever say or do anything then to make you think he wanted Mir dead?" Mags had stopped on her way to the door and turned to her mother.

"Not once. I never felt any deception from him," Sarai said, and sighed. "There's more to this story, I can feel it."

"Me, too," Mags said softly.

Miriah and Lana had returned to the office, anxious to get the majority of the things Devin couldn't do, done. They were still bent over datapads and typing on terminals when Aric stood in front of Miriah's desk. "Commander, I am going to leave you with your detail. I am too tired to continue today."

"Of course, Aric. What time is it anyway?" When he responded with the time, Miriah stood. "It's been a longer day than I thought. Go, rest. We'll shut down here." She saw Aric go to Lana's office and roused Corso from his spot on the sofa, his datapad on his chest. "C'mon, sugar. Let's go home."

"Okay," he responded, yawning as he stood. "Want me to get dinner?" Aric came back in, seeing them ready to leave.

"I have someone bringing food to you," he informed them. "Please scan it, as always." Miriah put her hand on Aric's arm.

"We'll be careful," she assured him, and he nodded before turning to leave. Corso put his arm around his wife, and they stood still while the detail assembled around them. "Wait," Miriah called, and turned to Lana's office. "Lana, out. We'll pick up tomorrow."

Lana picked her head up and Miriah startled a little at her friend's face. "Lana, hon. What's going on?" Miriah's voice was soft, and she pushed the door closed behind her, giving them some privacy.

"If I had not been distracted by the way Theron looked, I could have force leaped onto the ship," Lana said, a note of defeat in her voice. "I could have stopped all of this, and I didn't."

"No, Lana. No. We all had fought the entire day, and you did all you could do. Do not ever take responsibility for his actions," Miriah told her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Go home, or come with us, if you want company. Just get some rest."

"I'll be okay," Lana said, patting Miriah's hand. "I'm going home, hopefully I'll be able to sleep." They hugged as Lana stood, and Miriah returned to her detail, and Lana heard the faint clash of armor plate as they moved down the tunnel. She turned everything off and made her way out, pulling the door closed behind her. She turned, and Nico stood there, his stance relaxed and propped on Miriah's door. "Nico, you startled me," she said, a tired smile on her face.

"I heard you've had a rough few days," he told her, and took her hand. "I have food being delivered at my place, thought you might could use a hot meal and some stimulating company." His grin lifted some of the gloom she'd worn all day and she followed him into the smuggler area, and up to his small apartment.

Miriah and Corso had arrived at their apartment, and saw that Caly had brought some cookies in. Corso grabbed one and set their table, while Miriah tinkered in the kitchen. He waited until she came out, and held up a sparkling stick. "What is that? What are you doing?" she laughed, and he thought it was a beautiful sight to see her do so.

"Happy New Year," he told her, moving to kiss her.

"Oh no, we missed Life Day too," she said, her eyes big. "How did I not notice the decorations and such?"

"I think everyone understands," he told her, taking her in his arms. "We can have our celebration whenever we want." He hugged her close, loving the feel of her arms around him.

"This year, we end all of this nonsense," she murmured. He hoped she was right.


	10. Chapter 10

Miriah stood in front of the door, thinking. She raised her hand to the chime, but hesitated and instead knocked softly instead. She was about to knock again when the door jerked open. Solasta's face was furious until she realized who was calling on her, and then she smiled, softly and naturally. "Come in, Commander," she said softly. "Aissa's asleep, so I was going to murder anyone who woke her."

Mirah laughed softly. "I remember that feeling," she assured her friend, taking in the dark rings around Solasta's eyes and the tired posture of her body. "How's it going? And do you need anything?"

"I need a shower and some food," Solasta admitted, but she sat across from Miriah.

"Go, shower. When you're done, I'll have something ready for you," Miriah told her, shooing her with her hands. At Solasta's look of uncertainty, Miriah chuckled. "I do know how to take care of a baby, if she wakes." Solasta blinked slowly before nodding.

"Thank you," she said. "Gursan went back to work yesterday and I haven't found my..."

"Just go, hon. See you in a few," Miriah told her, already pulling things from the fridge.

Lana and Aric huddled in her office. "I know some old tales about a superweapon, from back in the Star Cabal days, but nothing we ever found. Maybe we need to get Raina and see what she knows about this weapon," Lana proposed.

Aric stroked his chin. "I have found nothing in the last ten years about it. I thought it might have something to do with the one on Iokath, but now I don't think so. We need to figure out who besides Theron really wants the Alliance to fail. A much bigger kettle of fish, that would be. More possibilities." He sighed. "I still feel drained from Copero and then the loss of the ship."

Lana turned to her computer, putting in search parameters. "Let's just see if there's anything that connects the Chiss to a weapon, first." They waited several minutes while the computer hummed, then both jumped at it's chime. "Nothing," Lana said.

"Try looking for the Emperor's vault, that was what the woman said," Aric told her, and Lana felt her anger rise up her throat. She grabbed an antacid tablet from her desk drawer, and waited.

"Still nothing," Lana said, and sighed, running her hand through her hair. She'd enjoyed being with Nico the previous night but, like Aric, she still felt the fatigue of their mission. She planned to leave early today, and get some rest. Hopefully, she said to herself.

Miriah had built two sandwiches and warmed some soup by the time Solasta made her way back into the common area. "There, now," Miriah said. "Sit and eat with me." Solasta sat and after the first bite, fell hungrily into the sandwich. When she felt marginally better, she turned to her friend.

"Day off?" Solasta asked, and got a nod from Miriah. "I cannot even tell you how much better I feel," Solasta murmured.

"Everyone wants to take care of the baby, and sometimes the mom gets looked over," Miriah responded. They finished their food and Miriah had taken the dishes to the kitchen, and when she returned, Solasta was asleep. Miriah gently put her legs onto the sofa and left, baby Aissa in her cradle near her mother.

Nico had woken to an empty bed. He had let Lana lead last night, and this morning, he felt relaxed. I could get used to this, he thought, then stopped dead on his way to the shower. No, no, no, he told himself. No attachment. Hell, the woman just found out her husband wanted to kill her more than love her. He stood braced on the counter, his towel around his waist and his hands shaking. I just need to back away, he thought. Let her have some space. Yeah, that's it, he said in his head. He started the shower and noticed the tremor remained.

Aric walked along the edge of the courtyard, his breath visible in the cold air. The whole mystery of the superweapon had him stumped, and he hated it. I can almost understand Theron's desire to end all of the race for the one weapon, and yet, he's doing it again. Something is off here, he thought. Why try to kill Mir so many times and fail? He's a former SIS agent. Aric pondered his way across the space, and then turned to walk again. Maybe he's being misled into thinking he can obtain this weapon. But what will he do with it if he finally finds it? Aric realized he needed to go inside when the hairs in his ears froze, and he ducked into the mess hall. He saw Corso immediately and got his caff before sitting down across from him.

"You're brooding," Corso told him, taking a sip of his own mug.

"You are too," Aric said, their identical somber expressions staring at each other before Corso let a snort of laughter escape.

"You should see your fur," Corso said. "The static is impressive!" Corso held his hands apart, showing Aric how much his coat had grown after it'd gotten cold and then warmed rapidly.

"Yeah, yeah," Aric grunted. "I remember when your dreads would be that big when you washed them, too, funny man." They sipped silently for a few minutes before Corso sighed.

"I really want this to be over," he said. "Mir is only partially sleeping, I'm watching her because just last week she was so fragile she could hardly go half a day." He looked around then bent closer to Aric. "I'm to the point of hiring someone to hunt him down. I know Mir's been thinking about a bounty." Aric just held his gaze, not moving. "I have credits, no one would need to..."

"Cor," Aric interupted his friend. "It might not work, and if it doesn't, and Theron doubles his efforts to eliminate Mir and the Alliance, then what will you tell her?" He lifted his head and saw Miriah striding toward them, looking relaxed and happy. "Mir, you enjoying your day off?" Aric said, noting the detail blending in with the other patrons of the nearby tables.

"I am, went to see the new baby," she said. "I'm going to see my granddaughter and grandsons this afternoon. Then, back to cook dinner and relax." She nudged Corso, who had gone silent. "Maybe I can talk this big guy into a little dancing, a little wine," she laughed, his gaze landing on her with longing in his eyes. "What do you say, handsome? Fancy a little alone time?" she murmured, and lifted her face to touch Corso's nose with her own.

I can't keep anything from her, he thought. If I went through with this crazy idea, she'd know. "I can't think of anything I'd like more, darlin'. He pushed his negative thoughts to the back of his brain, and let himself enjoy Miriah being happy.

Torian had volunteered for the early shift, and had started his work before dawn. His aim was to be available to walk Caly from her last class, maybe getting a little time alone with her now that it seemed her parents were softening toward him. He was patrolling around the landing fields when he came across some debris. Must have been from one of the pods, he thought, picking it up and examining each side. The scoring on the piece made it almost unrecognizable, but he tucked it into his pack anyway. He saw a smaller piece a few feet away and pocketed it as well. The ship's explosion would have had most of it burning up through the atmosphere, but it's possible that a much larger piece might have ended up as the palm sized pieces he'd found. He stood from his kneeling position and looked around, amazed again at how beautiful the planet was, even with frost on the ground. His chrono showed it was lunch time, and he went to the checkpoint to wait for his replacement. He'd have a quick lunch, do his shift report, and then meet Caly. That thought brought a quick smile to his face. He truly never felt as good as he did with her by his side.

Miriah gently rocked Declan, his little eyes were drooping but he was fighting it, gazing up at her with love. She smoothed his hair and sang softly to him, and he finally couldn't escape sleep any longer. When she'd put him in his bed with a kiss and last pat of his back, Miriah returned to see Merida awake, Mia feeding her. "It's a never ending cycle, isn't it?" she asked, and got a smile from her daughter in law.

"It really is, but we've got a rhythm now, at least." Miriah went to the kitchen and returned with water for them both. "Thanks," Mia said, "I forget, then when I sit down, it's too much trouble to get up again." She shifted the infant and took the opened bottle.

"Like I told Solasta this morning, people tend to forget to take care of moms, and they often need it more than the babies," Miriah said. "I saw Maura deal with twins, and even with Aric doing just as much, it was a lot of work. I was lucky, when the boys came along, we were contractors, and had the luxury of doing things in our own time."

"Devin is a lot of help, but there's been a lot of things happening in the past few weeks," Mia said, putting Merida on her shoulder and patting her back. "I think the _Windwalker_ exploding was about the scariest thing I've seen in a very long time, and I knew you had all escaped." Mia had been having nightmares about losing her family since that day, but she didn't want to worry Miriah any more than she always was. Instead, she handed over her daughter to Miriah, who instantly forgot anything else. Merida blinked light blue eyes at her grandmother, and blew bubbles from her bow-shaped lips, and Miriah laughed softly.

"This is why it's all worth it," she said, lightly stroking the baby's face with her finger. They visited, but left the weight of the current situations out of it, and when Miriah rose to go visit with James, Mia hugged her tightly.

"Stay safe, okay?" Mia said, and Miriah squeezed her once more, suddenly aware that she and Corso were the only family the young woman knew.

Corso was in the park with Logan and James, and saw the group of black-clad troopers heading their way. "Here comes Mimi," Logan told his son, and James clapped his hands, laughing. When they parted and Miriah could be seen, Corso grinned at her.

"That always seems like a magic trick, darlin'," he told her, hugging her close. They played with James for over an hour before the little guy started to wind down, and climbed into Miriah's lap, putting his head on her shoulder.

"I guess that's it for him," Logan said. "It was great to have this time with you both, though. Mom, you look rested, for a change." Miriah beamed a smile at him. She knew it was because she'd been soaking up the time with her children and grands that had relaxed her. They hugged and Corso joined her inside the wall of troopers, making their way back into the main base. Miriah slowed as they walked, and Corso could tell that as much as she'd enjoyed her day, she was tiring. They were waiting for the elevator when Corso spotted Caly and Torian, and felt himself tense. Miriah felt him, and gave him a questioning look.

"Mom! Dad!" Caly called. She had been surprised to see Torian waiting for her when she'd been walking from her last class, and even now, her hand resting in his, the warmth rushed up her arm.

"Come with us," Corso called out, and Caly sent a worried look to Torian, who merely shrugged. They followed the group into the base and through the war room, and when they were safely ensconced in the apartment, Miriah hugged her daughter.

"First day?" she asked, and Caly nodded. "Let's get a snack, I'm feeling a little shaky." Corso immediately put his arm around his wife and steadied her.

"Cookies are on the way," Caly said, and Corso nodded, leading Miriah to the sofa. Torian hurried to the kitchen, and when Caly brought cookies, Torian followed with cold juice and drinking glasses. Miriah gratefully took both, and after a few minutes, where Corso scanned her and had his datapad out to summon Mags, Miriah thanked them all.

"You all are so wonderful to me," she told them. "And I appreciate it." Corso looked at her for several minutes, making sure that she was okay, before going into the kitchen to start dinner. Caly was full of stories and kept the chatter going, but Miriah was only studying her daughter, not missing the subtle brush of Torian's hand on Caly's arm, the change in Caly's smile when she caught Torian's eyes watching her. When they made to leave, Miriah sent Caly to tell her dad goodbye, and held Torian in her gaze. "You can date her, Torian. I'll allow it, but only because I see the way you look at her. If I ever think that you're not keeping my trust, I'll kill you myself."

Torian swallowed hard but nodded. "I won't let you down, Commander." When Caly danced back into the room, she hugged her mother and they left, Torian giving Miriah a nod at the door. Miriah found her way to Corso, who made her sit while he chopped the vegetables Arcann kept in good supply for them. They discussed their day, and gradually Corso realized she was fine. When everything was cooking, Miriah was in his arms, and they danced, content.

Torian had dinner with Caly, and then made his way into the science wing. He waited, tapping his foot in time with the lively music the technicians preferred. Finally, he saw Aric striding into the room. "What did you find, kid?" he asked, turning on one of the lighted tables. Torian pulled the fragments he'd found from his pockets and put them on the table, three in all. Aric picked on of them up, turning it over in his large hand.

"This looks like it's from the ship itself," Aric said, examining the piece. He pulled over a magnifying panel and placed the piece under it. "Markings are from the _Windwalker_ , numbers match." He pulled the second one over. "This one has no identification on it, at all."

"Could have burned off," Torian said softly. Aric grunted agreement, pulling the third piece over to the magnifier. He turned it over and hunched over the fragment, adjusting the level of enlargement, and finally standing to take the piece over to another instrument, asking the technician to place the image on a nearby screen.

"This isn't part of the ship, and it does have some markings on it," Aric said, motioning Torian over. "This has to be part of the explosive." Torian looked at Aric, who wore a huge smile. "Nice job, kid."


	11. Chapter 11

"And when you're up among the stars, looking out the windscreen, you realize how big the sky that you can see really is," Miriah said, perched on the small plastic chair, surrounded by the upturned faces of a class whose oldest member was six years old. They were in awe of the Commander, and were totally focused on her as she told them about space. Their teacher had submitted his request many weeks prior and now, Miriah was glad that Lana had accepted it. She smiled at their questions, asked in all seriousness and with wide eyes, hanging on every word.

Aric stood just inside the rear door, scanning the area. The detail waited just outside the school, and now Aric questioned that decision, even if it was to avoid scaring the children. There had been a constant in and out of parents, watching the little ones and also Miriah. Corso was scheduled for a physical this morning, Maura had the upper respiratory virus that had half the base incapacitated, and it was just Aric. He had noted a dark dressed figure that looked too young to have a child in this class, but he couldn't be sure, since the person wore a hooded jacket, making Aric nervous that the hood remained up even though he or she was inside. He, Aric thought, seeing a little facial hair peeking out of the hood. Just as he started toward Miriah, she stood, and he met her eyes. She could feel his anxiety, and moved toward him as he got between the hooded figure and his sister in law.

Miriah knew she could stand behind Aric, and no one would be able to even see her, much less target her. As soon as Aric started toward the group, they dispersed, and the hooded figure ran. Aric clicked his relay. "We have an unknown, dark clothing, hood over face and head. Heading from the primary school on foot. All units, check in!"

Lana heard Aric's report and felt her tummy flip. Not here, she thought, please not here! They had been lucky so far, and the criminal element so prevalent on some planets had been either turned away or eliminated quickly. Now, she wondered if the person Aric had seen was a random event, or if Theron had found a way to infiltrate Odessen. She shuddered, thinking about it. They had spent the past week examining the wreckage Torian had found and trying to put together the map to the emperor's vault from the fragments they recovered on Copero, putting in long days and late nights. Now this, she thought, rubbing her eyes. She listened closely as all the checkpoint guards gave their status to Aric, and no on saw a hooded man running anywhere. As cold as it is, it could have been anybody, she realized. She waited and paced, hoping for another update.

Torian heard Aric's voice, and sensed the note of panic, which made him start running toward the primary school. He kept his eyes open, but didn't see the person Aric described. I will be so glad when Caly isn't here anymore, he thought. Too many opportunities to harm her. He slowed as he neared the building, but the blowing, cold rain mixed with tiny bits of ice didn't help visibility. Finally, when he could see nothing moving either in or out, he turned to the building itself, starting his search at the door, every corner examined and every person verified. I will not let the Commander be harmed, he swore to himself, and pasted on a smile as he approached the families leaving for the day.

Aric felt Miriah's presence at his back, and turned, lifting her off her feet and hustling her outside where her detail waited. "Close detail, do not stop until you are in the secure area! Go! Now!" he commanded, and the detail did as he asked, hustling them both out of the building and across the courtyard. By the time they stopped in the war room, Miriah had bent forward, her hands on her knees catching her breath. Aric was speaking into his relay again, and motioned to Corso as he exited the elevator, who ran to Miriah's side.

"What's going on, darlin'? The little people stage a revolt?" he joked, but when Aric turned to him, he saw the determination spiced with fear in his eyes, and hugged his wife to him. "Aric, what do you need me to do?" he asked, feeling Miriah tremble against him.

"Come with me, we'll canvas the area around the school. Mir, you feel okay to go to the apartment?" Miriah nodded. The week was catching up to them all, and she felt tired all over. "Okay, your detail will leave you there with the HK units, but you have a relay, right?" She nodded again. "Call out if you need us." Corso kissed her quickly and she gave him a smile, watching them as they hurried to the elevators. She was about to turn with the detail when she saw Lana approaching, and waited for her.

"Some day," Lana said and fell into step with Miriah as the detail escorted them. "Feel like some company?"

"Of course," Miriah said, going straight to the kitchen to heat some water for tea. Lana followed, and sat heavily at the table. "How are you really doing, Lana? I know the past couple of weeks have been tough on all of us, but you seem especially tired."

Lana snorted. "So I look exactly the way I feel. I don't know, I can't seem to relax and sleep. Even the force hasn't helped much." Miriah sat across from her with the tea. "Sex helped when we first got back, but Nico has been off doing other things." Lana blushed, thinking of how much she had enjoyed Nico's attention. "I just want some results. Something. A clue, or even just a little information, on where our traitor is and who he's with. A direction."

Miriah nodded but remained silent. She agreed with Lana's desires, they were her own, but so far, they'd had little to go on. They sipped quietly, and both startled when Corso and Aric entered the kitchen, Maura with them. "Find anything?" Miriah asked, noting the wetness on their faces. The freezing rain had been painful in just the short time she'd been out in it. Corso's face was red and he still had ice crystals in his hair. She stood to get towels for them, and kissed Corso's nose as he bent his head to her. When she returned, they'd shed their coats and wet boots, and stood in the warmth of the kitchen, and took the towels with gratitude.

Aric finally spoke. "We didn't find anything but a discarded hooded jacket." He was tired and disappointed. "I feel like I'm chasing shadows lately. I see threats, but before I can either know for sure, or eliminate it, it's gone again. It's getting old." He hung his head, unsure now about what he'd seen, and frustrated with the hunt. Miriah stood and made caf for them, and when it was done, Aric took the steaming mug with thanks.

"I wish we had fireplaces here, like we did on Odessen," Maura commented.

"I miss them," Miriah said, a smile on her face. "There's nothing quite like their warmth and atmosphere."

"They are very relaxing," Lana added. "I thoroughly enjoyed them when I was there." Corso sat with his arm around Miriah, and had been silent, thinking.

"I have an idea. Let's have a night here, just a break from our usual work, then dinner then bed." He stood and crossed to their pantry, pulling items out and placing them on the counter. "Lately, since we've been back from Copero, we just work all the time. I'll cook, we can all relax and talk. No work, just a break from it all for this evening." He looked at them all, and when Lana started to stand, he put his hand up. "No, Lana. You're staying, too." She looked unsure, and Miriah echoed Corso's words.

"You need a break as much as anyone I know, Lana. Please, stay," Miriah said, and Lana sat back down.

"Okay, I'd love to have a night of fun," Lana said, and Miriah patted her hand.

Torian had searched until Aric had called it off, then went to get warm and dry. The weather had taken a turn, and now there were fat snowflakes flying through the frigid air. He ducked into the elevator and shivered. He figured he'd go to his apartment and get dry clothes, then see if Caly wanted to get dinner. He opened his door, and immediately jumped back. Raina sat on his sofa, and regarded him with sad eyes. "How did you get in here?" he asked, still trying to wrap his head around someone in his space.

"I am in Intelligence," she stated, and shrugged. "I'm sorry if I startled you. I really just was lonely and wanted someone to talk to."

Torian sighed. This was a problem he didn't need. "I've been out in the weather all day, but let me get some dry clothes on and I'll be back in a minute," he told her, striding toward his bedroom. Just as he got the water in the shower hot, his datapad chimed. _Mom and Dad are in for the evening, want to have dinner?_ Caly wrote. He hesitated, wanting to be with Caly but feeling sorry for Raina, too. He quickly ducked in the shower, the pins and needles feeling in his toes from being so cold temporarily taking his attention. When he returned to the main area of the apartment, Raina had not moved. "Now, what's going on?" he asked, trying to sound upbeat.

Raina sighed. Being a part of the Alliance had been a learning experience, and her abrupt manner and confusion over the structure had allowed her little time to develop any friends, or even be comfortable with the people she worked with, reconstructing the map. "I just feel isolated. You are one of the only people here that has been nice to me, I guess. I just miss home and don't know what to do with myself." Torian instantly felt sorry for the young woman.

"You have to put aside the ways of the Chiss," he said gently. "There are literally hundreds of people here who would love to get to know you, if you let them. Go to the mess hall, sit with a group. They'll accept you for who you are as a person." Raina listened to him, but she still felt uncertain, and he saw that in her eyes. "I promise, they will. I felt uncertain, too, when I first arrived."

Raina shifted on the sofa to look at him. "I don't want to be a bother, to anyone, but I appreciate you being a friend." He patted her hand, and heard his datapad chime again.

"Excuse me, let me grab that," he told Raina, hurrying to the bedroom to read the message. _I know, I'll bring things and cook for you at your place,_ Caly had sent. The thought of Caly finding Raina at his apartment made his stomach churn with anxiety, and he felt the sweat of stress break out on his forehead. Going back to Raina, he didn't sit with her. "I'm sorry I can't go with you, Raina. I have other plans tonight."

"Oh!" Raina stood quickly, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, too. I really like you, Torian." She stepped closer, and Torian took a step backward. "Thanks for the advice."

"Have a good evening, Raina," he said, opening the door. He watched as the Chiss operative got on the elevator, and had just sat down to respond to Caly when his chime rang, and he opened the door to the one he wanted to see. "Caly, love. I was just about to message you," he told her, stepping in to kiss her cheek. Her face glowed, partially covered with a thick scarf but her eyes sparkled.

"It's really snowing! I've never seen it come down like this!" she said, giggling and putting her bag on the counter. "It's so cold, too. And you guys were out in it all day, chasing down someone Uncle Aric thought was going to hurt Mom?"

"Yeah, but we were unsuccessful. How was your day?" he asked, taking her coat and rubbing her red hands in his own. He would get her some warm gloves tomorrow, he thought.

"Good. I'll be glad when this session is done," she said, turning to take her supplies from the bag. "I saw Raina leaving the building when I came in, does she live here too?" She kept her voice casual, but Torian thought he heard something in her tone, something that would not bode well for him.

"I don't know," he responded. It was true, he had no idea where Raina slept. He would also have his codes changed, first thing. He did not need any conflict with Calypso, and he'd do anything he could to prevent that.

The slim, gray Cathar slipped into the rented room, just big enough to turn around in. Her day had been long, and out in the cold weather. No one told me it was this cold here, she thought. She had only wanted to see Aric Jorgan, but ended up being pursued by him. Not exactly what I wanted, she mused, a wry smile on her face. He looked exactly the same as the images she'd found in the boxes in the old house on Coruscant, and as she thought of how proud and strong he looked, she sighed. I'll have to figure out another way to get close to him, she thought, and wrapped herself in the surprisingly warm blanket on the bed before lying down and closing her eyes, replaying the day in her mind.


	12. Chapter 12

Corso peered at himself in the mirror, a towel cinched around his waist. His hair was just short now, not the almost-skin cut he'd done for the Copero mission. He ran his hand over the scruff along his jaw, turning his head back and forth. He'd just picked up his razor when Miriah put her hand over his. "Leave it, sugar," she told him. "Looks sexy, I like it." She ran her hands over his bare chest, her fingertips trailing down to his abs and sighed. They had an update holo call with Aristocra Saganu in a little less than half an hour, and Miriah knew they didn't have time for anything but getting ready and over to the conference room. "I'll tell you how much later," she promised, and with effort, pulled herself away to her closet. There, she pulled a thermal shirt to layer under her tunic, hoping to be warmer than yesterday, adding thick socks that pulled up to her knees and her heavier boots. I need to check on Mom and Caly, she thought, but I bet Aric will balk at that. She finished dressing and returned to their room to see Corso dressed and pulling his own boots on.

"Ready?" he asked, his warm eyes drinking her in.

"Yes, but after this, we have breakfast." Corso nodded, he was encouraged by her increased appetite the past couple of days, and even if she had to do something else, he'd make sure she got some food. "Okay, let's go, then."

Caly had been warm under her blankets, and didn't want to get up. I hate this school session, she thought. So much useless stuff. I'll never need to know navigational mathematics, or geopolitical history. She sat on the edge of the bed, and picked up her datapad. _I don't want to go to school today,_ she typed to Torian, who she knew had been awake for a few hours already.

 _I know, sweetie. But it's only a few months more. You can do it. You go to school and I'll be there when you get out, okay?_ His response made her smile, and with that, she got up to dress. She'd stayed at his apartment longer than she should have, and thus got less sleep than usual. It's okay, she thought. I'll trade sleep for time with Torian any day. Pulling on her warm coat, she grabbed her bag and was off, at least partially looking forward to the day.

Aric stood near the entrance to the mess hall, people watching. His eyes had told him he was hunting a tall slender male, but after chewing on it most of the evening with Maura, he realized he might be hunting any tall slender being. At the last count, they'd tallied over two hundred and fifty thousand beings on Odessen, between the main base and the two settlements, so there was no way he knew everybody personally. The housing for families had extended all the way around the lake and a little further toward the mountains, not to mention the barracks buildings and apartment complexes. This used to be just a handful of people, he thought. Now, look at us. He had noted the large number of Cathar as the shifts changed and people came in for breakfast, or dinner, as the case may be. He glanced at his chrono and startled. The call with Saganu! He rushed out to the elevators, unaware that light green eyes followed him as he left.

Saganu appeared above the holo base. "I've heard nothing to suggest that Theron is making progress in his hunt, in fact, now that there's a bounty on him, he's in hiding. In addition, since he's been linked to the deaths of Valss and Zenta, he's finding it hard to find supporters, at least Chiss supporters. It's entirely possible that he's left Chiss space."

Miriah nodded, she'd wondered if he'd left the system as well. "I appreciate the information," she said, and saw him glance down at the datapad in his hand.

"Oh! I see now that your ship was destroyed! Commander, I am so glad that your team escaped," he said, and Miriah could see the frown on his face. "I will be landing on Copero in a few hours, I'll be inspecting the area. Can we plan another call in a few days?"

"Of course," Miriah replied calmly, although the mention of her lost ship still angered her. "Just let Lana Beniko know the time, we'll make it work." With a quick nod, Saganu was gone. Miriah turned to Lana, who had been studying her datapad.

"I'll put it in the schedule," she murmured, and when Miriah stood, she did as well. She looks rested, at least, Mirah thought, and felt Corso take her hand.

"I'm going to get you some breakfast," he told her. "Lana, what about you?"

"Oh, yes, I'd love some breakfast," Lana said, her smile now radiating peace. Corso kissed Miriah and headed out. "That man is a treasure," she said to Miriah, who only nodded before going to join her detail, headed to her office. On the way, they met Aric, who halted them.

"I'm sorry, Commander," he said. "I was unfortunately delayed, working on the incident from yesterday."

"It's fine," Miriah told him, and they started walking again. "Saganu really didn't tell us much more that we already could guess." He looked closely at her, and wondered again about the ship and the explosives, and Theron.

"Are you okay?" he asked suddenly, and Miriah stopped again, turning to him.

"I'm physically well, Corso had gone for food, and I just gave up taking him back to bed this morning to hear that Saganu has nothing for us," she said, and tried to prevent the smile from blooming on her face. Aric just stared at her for a moment before he burst into laughter.

"I love that you hold nothing back," he finally gasped, holding onto Lana as she giggled with him. The detail shifted in place, waiting, and Miriah started walking again, smiling as she did. It took so little sometimes, to make Aric laugh, she thought. He's been so stressed, it sounds good.

Caly hurried to her first class, her breakfast in her cold hand. She wasn't really paying attention and almost ran into Torian, who was waiting for her. "Hey," she breathed, and suddenly she wasn't cold anymore.

"I wanted you to have these," he said, holding out a pair of lined gloves, burgundy to match her coat and scarf. She hugged him quickly, not wanting to draw too much attention.

"They're beautiful," she said softly, pulling one onto her hand. "And so soft! Thank you, love." He only smiled at her, and waved as she made her way into the classroom. The girls who had been her friends gaped at her, but she ignored them. They had shown their colors when Torian left Odessen, and Caly had never forgiven them their pettiness and rumors. She settled in, aware that they were whispering to each other even now. I don't care, she thought. Their opinion doesn't mean anything. As long as I have Torian and my family, I'm good. She took a bite of the still warm biscuit stuffed with cheese and egg and sausage and let out a small, happy sigh. This might be a good day after all.

Aric and Corso were gone for their daily workout, and Maura had taken Corso's place in Miriah's office. Usually they worked on their own projects, but today, Miriah kept getting calls from other leaders, and her mind was focused on the myriad of problem that every day presented. So far, she'd talked to Senya twice about reconstruction and supplies, and a handful of other leaders. When she finished her call, Miriah stood and stretched. "Sometimes, I wonder who they talked to before the Alliance. I mean, Arcann wasn't on the holo all the time, I'm sure."

Maura snorted. "You'll have to ask him when you see him next." She watched Miriah go through some basic stretches before going back to her datapad. It seemed only an instant until someone was being held outside, the tussle of the security detail loud in the small space. "What's going on?" Maura leaped up to put herself between Miriah and the office door. They could hear shouts and pleas to stop, but couldn't see the person her detail was detaining. Aric and Corso ran up to them then, and Aric pulled a slender young man from the hands of a huge trooper.

"I just wanted to make the Commander an offer," the man said, and Miriah could see the fear coming off him in waves.

"I'll hear him," Miriah said, and Aric pulled the man into the office. "What's so important that you'd risk your life to run in here like that?"

The young man had regained his breath and stood tall. "I know we do not have the ship building structure that Corellia had, but I believe we can replace the _Windwalker_ , and make her even better," he said quietly. The confidence in his voice made Miriah consider his words carefully.

"But how would you build such a ship without the scaffolding and large machinery that would be required?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

"We are a great Alliance. We will have need of ships, as our fleet ages and needs increase. I have a plan to build such ships, using our rock walls as the supports we would require. I want to build you a ship, Commander." He stood very still in the suddenly quiet room, not daring to look around.

"I accept your offer," Miriah told him with a smile. "Get with the proper areas to request supplies, and the science section to okay the rock walls. I will give you the credits for them." She opened up a locked drawer and took out a blank credit stick, putting it into her datapad and transferring a very large sum onto the stick before handing it to the young man.

"Who are you?" Aric asked, eyeing the man as he blushed.

"My name is Aros Stola, and I grew up on Balmorra, working on Imperial ships," he said with grave sincerity. "I remember when you came and cleaned out the Okara droid factory, Commander. It was surely a sight to see!" He smiled for the first time, and when Miriah tried it hand him the credit stick, he refused. "Let me start to gather the materials, I'd rather the suppliers invoice you. That way, you will know exactly where your credits are being used."

Miriah nodded, it was an excellent idea. "Update me when you're ready to begin," she told him, and he turned to leave. "And thank you," she said, stepping toward him to shake his hand. Both Aric and Corso moved closer then, but Miriah merely smiled.

Devin and Mia met his parents in the mess hall, and they settled in for dinner, everyone talking about their day. Caly and Torian joined them, and Miriah could see the joy on both their faces. Aric and Maura sat at the far end of the table and for a while, they all ate heartily. The cold weather made everyone seek comfort food, Miriah thought. She glanced around them, more of a habit than a deliberate scan, and her eye caught on a gray Cathar, her eyes a striking light green. She was glancing at their table, but Miriah didn't think anything of it other than how pretty she was. She was thinking of Aissa and wanting to visit Solasta again when Corso held out a bite of green beans to her, and she forgot the Cathar.

Devin felt the love and happiness around him and drank it in. Merida had finally started sleeping through the night, and Declan was a happy little man, therefore Mia was returning to her normal self and he was thankful. He saw Miriah scan the room, but didn't note any concern from her, and didn't repeat her scan. He could take the general temperature of the area and felt nothing amiss other then a slight sliver of sadness. He couldn't spot it, but he could feel it. Mia saw his expression and raised her eyebrow at him, but he only kissed her forehead and returned his attention to the table.

The gray Cathar, who was going by the name of Missy on Odessen, saw the Commander look around and nearly let her catch her eye. She lowered her head immediately, not wanting to tip her hand, not just yet. She ate slowly, trying to observe the table subtly, and shifted slightly to see Aric. She knew he was married, that wasn't what she wanted from him. She sighed, though, to see him being so tender with his wife, laughing with his family. She had seen him with the Commander's husband a lot, they seemed to be true friends and she yearned to go up to him, let him know who she was. But she knew that she'd never get close, that the Commander's detail would have her down on the floor within seconds. She could wait, she decided, and rose to take her dishes to the return area. At least it was warm inside.

Lana had undressed and pulled on her robe when the door chime rang. She peeped through the hole and saw Nico there, bringing food. She opened the door, and he stepped inside. "The perfect outfit," he murmured as she backed into the room, taking the large bag from his hand.

"Where have you been?" she asked, but his mouth on her throat drove the thought from her mind as she melted under his touch. She would think about it later, as they lay entwined together, and realized they had never eaten the food and he'd never answered.


	13. Chapter 13

Aric stood on the balcony, looking out at the base, as he often did. This morning, as the sun was on the horizon and the air still after dumping snow for two days, he closed his eyes and let his subconscious roam, enjoying the crisp note of the air and the smell of the trees. He could hear small animals scurrying about and his claws descended, the hunter instinct showing it's strength in the domesticated soldier. Something was decidedly different, he thought. It started at the school the other day. He went through the scene again, letting his mind examine each frame. When he'd finished, he sighed. There was something missing, and he wasn't going to let it go until he figured it out. With a loud chuff, which instantly froze into a cloud around his face, he turned to go inside.

Miriah lay against Corso and shivered. He was usually warm enough to take even the chill of being wet and cold away, but with the drop in outside temperatures, combined with the rock walls, they were wrapped in blankets and still felt the cold. "You know, we'd be warmer skin to skin," he murmured in her hair, and was rewarded with a slow, sensual smile.

"What time is it?"she asked, and looked over his shoulder at the chrono alarm. "Damn! We've got to stop scheduling early morning conference calls," she said with a grimace, letting a toe peek out of the pillowed warmth, then pulling her foot back in. "It's just too cold."

"We can get to the shower and get warmed up," Corso suggested, and before she could protest, he'd pulled her out of bed and carried her to the shower. While she waited for the water to warm, Corso pulled clothing from the unheated closets to defrost in the warmer refresher, his teeth chattering by the time he joined Miriah under the steaming water.

"It was cold last winter, but it seems colder this year," he said, holding her close as the water cascaded over them. Miriah only nodded, content, and finally warm. Overnight, it seemed their heating system had failed, prompting worry on her part about base systems overall. She knew that their hot water came from a natural hot spring, and that part of the steam from that spring provided heat, along with an electrical heating furnace. Maybe it's so cold the spring is cold, too, she thought. I'll ask Lana about it. With that thought, she pulled away from Corso, despite his protest. By the time she was dressed, she felt stable, not too warm or cold, and they made their way to the conference room, where Corso peeled off to go get caf and hot cocoa. Miriah pulled the door open and was hit with delicious warm air, Lana already present and working.

"The heat seems to be working fine here," she said, and Lana furrowed her brow.

"Is there a problem in the apartment?" Lana asked, pushing her datapad away. "I'll have someone take a look at it. In fact, I'll put in the work request right now," she said, pulling the device back to her.

"Thanks," Miriah told her, sitting in her usual spot. "How are things everywhere else?"

"No problems reported, and I'm sure we would have heard something if people were cold. The outdoor merchants have relocated to space inside the cantina, and the mess hall has seen a slight rise in output, which is to be expected in the temperatures." Lana sat back, studying Miriah. "The new settlement is doing well, I spoke with their mayor yesterday. He says they have everything they need."

"Have they voted on a name yet?" Miriah asked, and saw Lana grin.

"Haven," she replied. "They chose it because to most of them, Odessen is a haven."

Miriah nodded. "Nice name, feels right. I should go there soon." She didn't see Lana's look of surprise, but she felt the change in the force. "Why? I shouldn't?"

"I don't want to see Aric's head explode," Lana explained. "And you know it would."

Miriah couldn't help the smile that stole over her face. "Yeah, I imagine that would cause an issue. Maybe when it's not so cold, I'll talk to him about it." The holo began to chime, and Miriah turned her attention to the first of the planetary check ins.

Torian ducked into the mess hall and took a deep breath before making his way to the caf. Last night, he had scared himself, and then spent far too long obsessing over it, tossing and turning in bed. Calypso, he thought. She's just so innocent. He knew she wasn't being provocative on purpose, but every hair flip, every slow blink, had him swallowing hard and trying to control himself. He didn't consider himself a ladies man, but as a Mandalorian, the rules were less strict, and women were drawn to his quiet wisdom and battle prowess. He'd never lacked for companionship, starting with his ascension to manhood at the age of fourteen. As if he needed to remember why he remained chaste, Corso was in the food line in front of him, and greeted him. Torian managed to smile and nod, but felt like he'd been caught doing something naughty. Well, he acknowledged, he kind of had been, thinking about the man's daughter and how she made him feel. Corso's voice made him jump, and hot caf sloshed onto his hand.

"Sorry, Torian. Here, let me help," Corso said, taking the mug while Torian wiped his hand.

"Thanks." They gathered the food they wanted, and Corso waited to have his bagged. "I'm out in the area between the settlement and the base today," Torian explained.

"I'm headed back to feed Mir, at least her appetite is back," Corso replied. "See you later." Torian watched the big man move through the crowd, wondering if he should ask for a remote assignment until Caly was old enough to make his fantasies come true. Shaking his head, Torian set out for his speeder, his caf sealed and his gloves on, welcoming the cold air on his red face.

Merida had a cold, and she was howling in her crib, wondering where her mom was. Mia had her hands full with Declan, who had started to walk a week ago, and now was everywhere at once. Devin could sense her despair and quickly made his way from the mess hall with breakfast for his family, Declan meeting him at the door with a huge grin on his face, happy to just be with his dad. Devin got him corralled and into his chair with a warm biscuit to keep him occupied while he went to check on his girls. "She's still not well," Mia said, sighing. "I know there's nothing more to do, but I want her to feel better."

"I know you do, love. Go, have breakfast with Dec, I'll take this peanut." Merida snuggled into Devin and blinked slowly, tired but unable to lie down and breathe. Devin walked with her into the kitchen and saw the calm. Declan was busy feeding himself, and Mia had gotten a mug of caf and sat with him. "Eat, sweetheart. You have to keep yourself fueled to feed the princess." He could feel Merida relaxing, and knew he wouldn't be going anywhere soon. He looked at the dark smudges under Mia's eyes, and his heart went out to her. He took things out that he'd brought, and put them on plates, taking them to the table. Mia still hadn't moved, and he put his hand on her arm, making her startle.

"Oh! I think I fell asleep there," she said sheepishly, shaking her head.

"You're going to eat and then have some time to yourself. I'm on kid duty today," he told her and she laughed for a bit before seeing in his eyes that he was being serious. She started to eat, and realized everyone was happy and safe, and it made her relax.

Corso had watched Lana and Miriah talk to nine different planet's leaders without once wanting to jump in, until Senya appeared on the holo. "We're almost done with the damage around the tram stations," she said now, and even from this angle, Corso thought she looked at peace. "I'd like to come to Odessen next week, and visit with my son."

"Of course, Senya. Whenever you like," Miriah said. They discussed supplies and how the refugees were settling in before signing off, and Corso moved to Miriah's side. "Hey, sugar. Long morning," she said, stretching her arms above her head. "Let's break, Lana. We have the rest of the planets tomorrow, and I'd like to check on the heating repairs at the apartment." With a quick nod, Corso followed his wife out, and stood still while the detail formed up. "If it's still freezing in there, we're sleeping somewhere else tonight," she told him as he took her hand in his.

When they walked in, they could feel the change immediately and Miriah sank onto the couch, a smile on her face. "Don't you want to have some lunch?" Corso asked, but he could tell she was comfortable and not about to move soon.

"I want to go around the base, see what's being done with the map and the possible bomb fragments," she said, her eyes still closed. "But right this second, I don't want to do anything." She sighed in contentment, pulling one of the small throw pillows under her head. Corso went to get a snack from the kitchen, and when he returned, Miriah was sound asleep.

Aric finished teaching his sniper class and went to meet Maura in the mess hall. He didn't see her when he entered, and went to gather food instead. When he returned to the tables, he spotted her auburn hair and made his way to her. She was smiling slightly, but also looked confused. "Hey, hon, how's your day going?" she asked, and leaned into him for a kiss.

"It's been a quiet day," he told her, and they ate, sharing laughs and love. When Aric remembered her face when he found her, he asked why she'd looked puzzled.

"Oh, yeah. There was this Cathar, said her name was Missy. She was asking about you. I told her you'd be meeting me here, but when I looked around, she was gone." Maura shrugged. "Guess it wasn't important, or something else came up."

Aric felt the fine hairs on the back of his neck rise. "Did you know her?"

"No, I can't say I ever met her before," she told him. "If she needs you, I'm sure someone will point you out," she said, with a low laugh. "Can't believe she doesn't know the Great Aric Jorgan?"

Aric blushed. He didn't know why but it felt strange to him, that someone of his own species would deliberately look him up. He didn't get together with his clan very often, but they would always welcome him. He just couldn't put his finger on why it bothered him, and since he couldn't, he let it go and decided to work in the war room for the afternoon.

Corso hated to wake his wife. He knew she had some loose plans for the afternoon, but nothing urgent or necessary for base operations. He sat with her for a while, reading, but soon felt the urge to move. He dropped a quick kiss on her forehead, holding his breath for a second when she moved but then settled. He knew she wanted to check out the various undertakings of the Alliance, so he decided to go for her. He stopped in at the science section, but the fragments were not yielding their secrets. He met Raina at the map reconstruction, and saw that even though the progress was slow, it was still going. Corso thought she looked like she was fitting in well with the others, and smiled as she and the others explained what they'd discovered so far. When they stopped talking and looked at him expectantly, he told them they were doing a good job and to carry on, and figured when they all smiled at him he'd done okay.

Aric saw Corso as he made the rounds, and they chatted, him wondering if anyone had been asking for him lately, and Corso telling him about what he'd learned during the afternoon. When neither got the answers they sought, Aric asked about Miriah. "She was cold all night, something busted in the furnace, so when we came back in this afternoon, it was warm. I left her asleep on the sofa," Corso replied. "I should get back, she's probably up by now."

"Let me know if you hear anything," Aric said, waving as Corso walked away.

Torian knew that Caly was out of school, but stayed away from the base. He needed to gain control, and felt better now than he had, but still he was being cautious. Now, he lifted his face to the sun, and ate the fruit Arcann had given him. He couldn't stop thinking about how close he'd come to scaring her last night, and even now, the guilt engulfed him. He wondered if she was okay, since he'd seen the girls in her class and their mocking faces. His mind told him to be cool, to let them both have some space, but his heart warred with the need to see her, and he paced, finally getting on the speeder and heading to the courtyard, hoping she would still be waiting for him.

Corso breezed into the apartment, expecting Miriah to be cooking or soaking or at least awake. Instead, she was still on the sofa. He tried not to worry, but of course it was impossible. He walked to her side and gently put his hand on her cheek. She moved a little but didn't open her eyes, and he realized her face felt hot. Going to his gear bag, he pulled out a scanner, and sighed at the results. Miriah had the flu.


	14. Chapter 14

"I'm find," Miriah swore, blowing her nose.

"Mir, if you have to put a 'd' at the end of 'fine', you're not fine," Aric told her, handing her a mug of hot tea. "Drink this, Maura said it helped when she was sick." Miriah took the tea with one hand and pulled her robe tighter around her with the other. "She's bringing some stuff from the medcenter for you." Miriah nodded and sipped the tea hesitantly before taking a larger drink.

Corso crossed to her and knelt at her feet, pulling her warm slippers over her thick socks. It was pleasantly warm in the apartment, but she alternated between being too hot and too cool, and he knew it would be a trick to keep her comfortable. "I can still work from here," Miriah declared, and picked up her datapad.

"Tomorrow, you can work from here. Tonight, you rest and hydrate, and see how you feel in the morning," Corso said, taking her datapad and putting it on the desk in the corner. He dropped a kiss on her head before plumping the pillows he'd put at her back. "Relax, darlin, and let us take care of you."

"I feel like that's all you ever do," she groused, and when she was comfortable, Aric leaned forward.

"I will do all your running around, and we can holo anybody we need to talk to right here," he said. "I have the antibodies from when Maura was sick, and Corso is immune. We can't risk letting Sarai near, and probably not Caly, either." He was interrupted when Maura came in, a bag of medicines in her hand. While the women talked, Aric went to where Corso was putting together a soup in the kitchen. "I know she hates it, but I'm actually glad to have her slowed down for a few days. We still haven't located the person of interest from the school, and I just have a feeling that something is off, somehow.

Corso thought for a moment. "I know you have our best interests at heart, Aric. If you say we're confined, then that's all I need to know." Aric busied his hands making fresh caf, running the next day through his mind, satisfied that he could be Miriah's legs for her.

Torian knew he was late, but when he parked his speeder and made his way onto the courtyard, he didn't see Caly at all, and frowned. Where was she, he wondered, and waited in the rapidly waning sunlight. He sent her a message, but didn't receive an answer. After a few minutes, he went into the mess hall, wondering if she was there, but didn't see her anywhere. When half an hour had gone by, he felt the worry increasing, and set out for the school. He saw her droid there at the entrance, where he would be if she were in class. He asked it if she had left, and got a derisive answer, stating that surely if his mistress had left, he would be with her. Torian shook his head and went inside, calling her name. He had gone through all the halls once, and was on a second round when he heard a groan, and then a voice calling his name. "Caly!" he yelled, and headed toward the sound, where he found her in a heap, her bag under her and her lip bleeding, amid the other cuts and bruises. "Baby, what happened?" he whispered, helping her to sit up.

"I was leaving and some.. of.. ouch," she said, tenderly touching her lip and closing her eyes.

"Who? Who would hurt you, love?" he pressed, and saw tears flowing down her face.

"Some of the girls in my class cornered me," she confessed. "I...they..." He wrapped her in his arms then, and let her cry.

"Shh, sweetheart. It's okay now. I won't let anyone ever hurt you," he told her. After her tears had slowed, he stood with her slowly, and picked up her things, leading her out of the building. The HK unit followed, all the way to the medcenter.

Corso had finished the soup, letting it simmer and was about to go out with the others when his datapad chimed. He read the message and went to the door, motioning Aric to him. "You stay here, Caly needs me at the medcenter," he told his friend, and saw the concern staring back at him,

"What happened?" Aric asked, then, "never mind, just go. I'll keep Mir in the dark until you know more." Corso rushed out, and Aric strolled to the family room again, trying to keep his anger to himself.

Torian held Caly's hand as the medic cleaned her cuts and closed them with kolto. She had closed her eyes when Corso rushed in, immediately coming to her side. "Caly, honey, I'm so sorry," he told her.

"I'm okay, Dad. I should have been more careful. I knew they hated me since this summer, but I never thought they would hurt me." She felt his arms go around her, and leaned into him, loving how safe she was in his embrace. "Don't tell Mom, she has enough going on."

"You know she needs to know. She's just been diagnosed with this flu that's going around, but she loves you, Caly and she would be here otherwise."

"I know she would," Caly replied, and took Torian's hand again. "I'll be ready to leave here any minute anyway." As she excused herself to the refresher, Corso took measure of the young man before him.

"Who are these girls?" he demanded.

"I know what they look like, but not their names, at least of the ones I saw yesterday in her class," Torian reported. "Caly will have to identify the girls involved."

"And the HK unit was outside, because Caly said he was too distracting to have inside the school." Corso blew out a breath and raked his hand through his hair. He jumped up when Caly returned, and waved her release documents.

"I have the flu antibodies, so I can see Mom. Just maybe not tonight," Caly said, smiling with only half her mouth, trying to avoid disturbing the kolto on her lip. "I think I'm just going to have a hot shower and lie down."

"Torian, I want you to be her bodyguard. Yes, even in her pod. I'll go with you to override the unit there, and I'm trusting you to do the right thing," Corso told them, his arm around his daughter's shoulders. "We'll figure out something tomorrow, but you don't go back there until we do, okay?" Caly nodded. She didn't mind if she never went back to school, especially after this humiliation.

Aric had told Miriah that Corso had to go get more caf from their private stock at his apartment, and Miriah was sick enough that she didn't question it. After only a few minutes, she'd fallen asleep again, and Aric pulled Maura into the other room, letting her know what had happened. Both Corso and Torian had messaged him, and he'd spent the last thirty minutes trying to hide his anger.

"I'm going to kick some mean girl butt," Maura growled, heading for the door, but Aric swung her around.

"Let's let them think they got away with it tonight, and tomorrow, we'll round them all up, embarrass them in class, and charge them with assault," he told her, seeing when the simple logic of that penetrated the instinct to protect her niece. "I figure a couple of days down in the cell next to Saresh should scare the crap outta them."

"Poor Caly," Maura said, moving into Aric's arms. "She's going to be okay?" He held her close, her scent making his pulse jump.

"She's just banged up a bit, Corso said. He's on his way now, after getting her and Torian to her pod. He's going to leave him there as protection." Maura raised her eyebrows but kept her silence, wondering if the threat inside the pod was as great as the threat outside.

Caly dried herself, the hot water relaxing her muscles and simultaneously finding sore spots. She had been trying not to think about what had happened, but now, it was making her mad that she let those girls trap her in the refresher. She knew for certain one had kicked her ribs, and one had shoved her head against the wall. One had slapped her hard enough to split her lip, and that's when she blacked out for a little bit, coming to herself as she heard Torian calling her name on his first round of the halls. She had coughed, and cleared her voice as he made his second round. Tears formed as she felt herself start to shake again, and she quickly dressed, not wanting to be alone. Torian sat on the bed, waiting for her, and she ran to him. "Calypso, my love," he said into her hair. "I am so sorry. I'm the cause of this, I know it."

"No," she sniffed. "They're just jealous. I should have been more cautious, but it had been a good day and I was looking forward to seeing you." She turned her head on his shoulder and he squeezed her tightly, worried that she seemed so hard on herself.

"You'll never have to worry about them again," he told her, and her eyes widened. "Do you really think your dad or your uncle won't have something to say about this? Or your massively scary, force wielding brother?"

Caly blinked a few times. "I didn't really think of that. I thought maybe I could just finish my courses remotely and not go to class anymore."

Torian considered that. "That's definitely an idea," he responded. "But for now, I just want you to relax. I'll call for some food in a bit, okay?" She nodded and he lay back with her, his boots already off. When she seemed settled, he asked the computer to play some music, and they relaxed. He told her about his day, and she seemed okay to talk about everything but the attack. He wouldn't push her, he decided, and closed his eyes, letting her nearness lull him.

Corso helped Miriah to bed after she'd taken all the medications, including something to help the cough. Once she was settled, and he lay against her feverish body, he told her about Caly. As he'd expected, Miriah had cried and wanted to see her, but Corso convinced her that they both just needed a little recovery time. She even agreed with having Torian with her tonight, and he brushed her hair back from her tear ravaged face, seeing the medications plus the virus sending her into sleep. He sighed and got up again, wanting to have everything Mir might need in case she woke up. As he passed through the living room, the door chimed softly, and he opened it to Lana, who showed signs she'd been crying as well.

"I just got the news from Aric, and I'm just so angry!" The tall blonde woman wiped her eyes as she entered. "I know Miriah is sick, so I wanted to volunteer to take care of Caly."

"She's going to be fine," Corso said, putting his hand on Lana's arm. "I promise. Torian is with her, and he has my orders to keep her safe, no matter what."

"We'll have to deal with this," Lana said. "I'll bring in the teacher and see what he knows about it first thing tomorrow, and go from there."

"I think we need to consider that Caly may not be able to return," he said softly. "Right now, she's dealing with the physical pain, but tomorrow, she'll have to come to terms with what happened. If I were her, as close as she is to finishing this part of her schooling, I'd be hard pressed to go back." He led Lana to the sofa and sat across from her. "I think, instead of forcing her to go into the school, we should explore other ways for her to complete her coursework."

Lana considered his words, slowly nodding her head. "That might be a good alternative, but the assault has to be dealt with, too." And the little brats who did this will know that there are consequences to their actions, she thought.

Devin read Corso's message, and was trying to control his temper. Mia had read it as well, and he had to stop her from rushing to Caly's side, explaining that she was being protected and just wanted to rest. But for his sister to have come under attack from classmates, he felt, was unacceptable. He knew he was being unreasonable, but he wanted to hunt them down. This was the impulse he fought. He paced after Mia had gone to sleep, and worried. He could feel that Caly was safe, and that she was healing, but it infuriated him nonetheless. On one of his rounds, he felt the pure spike of force from Merida, who was feeling his emotions. Tamping them down, he picked his daughter up from her bed, gently patting her back as he rocked in place. If anyone ever does that to you, baby girl, they'd better hope they have their affairs in order, he thought. It took a long time for him to be able to rest.

Caly woke but it was just too hard to eat anything with her lip swollen, and she ached all over. Torian got her to sip some soup but not a lot. She had been restless and kept flashing back on what had happened, waking Torian, who admittedly hadn't been sleeping very hard anyway. Finally, they pulled a datapad out and were watching a holo movie when Caly surprised him. "Am I a bad person?" she asked, her eyes downcast. Torian took a moment to answer and gently pulled her face up to his.

"You are absolutely not a bad person, Calypso. These girls? I can't say the same about them." He hugged her close and she sighed.

"Then why are they so jealous?"

"Because you're a beautiful, genuine person who just happens to be the daughter of the Commander of the Eternal Alliance. And," he pulled her face up to look at him again, "because you're with me. A lot of people on this planet don't know the whole story behind my absence this summer, and even though Lana put out an official statement, not everyone believes it or even read it." He kissed her head. "If I didn't love you so much, I'd walk away. I hate to think of you being a target."

"Never want to hear you say that again," she demanded, sitting up. "I will not let some stupid girls derail my happiness!" Caly put her hands on his face, pulling him to her and searing his mouth with hers. "I love you, Torian. I just want to put this behind me and live my life."

"That's my girl," he said, kissing her once more.


	15. Chapter 15

Miriah opened her eyes, blinking to clear her vision. Instead of Corso, she saw the bruised face of her daughter, and felt the tears forming. Caly was sleeping, and Miriah didn't want to wake her, but oh how she wanted to hold her. She reached out to move some of the long, caramel hair off Caly's face, and Caly moved to her. With a soft cry, Miriah wrapped her daughter in her arms, and felt Caly relax. My sweet girl, Miriah thought, and felt her meager energy fade. Corso found them there, both sleeping, content.

Torian waited in the outer room, his fatigue catching up to him. Corso had grilled him again on the incident, and when he was satisfied that Torian knew nothing more, Corso had gone to check on Caly. Torian rubbed his eyes, and remembered to send a message to the duty officer about his new assignment. He put his datapad back in his pocket and leaned his head back on the overstuffed sofa, and fell into a sleep so deep he didn't even know Corso had returned. Corso merely shook his head and went to make caf. He hadn't slept very well either, and with everyone else napping, he knew he'd need caf to get him through the morning. Lana was requesting the school officials to meet with them this morning, and he hoped Miriah would feel well enough to be there.

Devin got everyone settled for the day and made his way to his parents apartment. Corso met him at the door, motioning him to be quiet as they made their way into the kitchen, "Mom and Caly are in our room," he said, easing the door closed behind him.

"How are they?" Devin asked, pacing the small space.

"Mom is feeling a little better, and I think Caly is, too. I don't think either of them slept very well, so I'm letting them all rest."

"Even Torian?" Devin's amused grin made Corso smile, too

"Yeah, even him. Thank the force he went looking for her." They had just sat down with caf and cookies when Caly made her way into the kitchen, stopping abruptly at the sight of her oldest brother.

"Dev," she said softly, and when he turned to look at her, her face turning dark purple in places and her lip still tender, he rushed to hug her.

"Oh, honey, I am so sorry," he whispered to her.

"I'm going to be okay. And I'm going to know how to fight back next time," she told him, holding her head up proudly. "I still have Grace," she said, referring to the antique blaster she'd used when Vaylin had invaded Odessen.

"She's yours," Corso told her. "But you have to be confident and ready to use her if you wear her."

"I will be. I also don't want to go back to school," Caly stated, and Corso saw the stubborn streak she had in common with her mother.

"I've already started that conversation with Lana," Corso assured her, and she sat at the table. "I'm going to check on Mom, back in a few." He hurried to the other part of the apartment, and Devin examined Caly's face.

"I so wanted to hurt them back last night," Devin admitted. "I could only think of Merida, and what I would do if the same had happened to her."

"Torian and I talked this through last night. I want them to be punished, but I also want them to know that they can't defeat me," she said. "I would have fought back yesterday, but it was so unexpected."

"That's how bullies operate," Devin said softly. He hoped that these girls would learn a lesson, but he knew that some people would be bullies all their lives.

Corso saw Miriah struggling to the refresher, and went to help her. She grabbed onto his arm and when she was close enough, she started the steaming water in her tub. "Darlin', are you going to be able to make this meeting?"

"I absolutely will. When I saw Caly's face this morning… I..."

Corso held her close, steadying her as she pulled her nightclothes off. "It looks bad right now, but darlin', I've seen you all bruised up, too. We'll be there for her, don't worry." He helped her into the tub, feeling her muscles tremble with the effort. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he told her with a kiss, and she nodded. She wished she felt better, and that Caly hadn't had to be hurt at all, and sat in the bubbling hot water, her tears adding to the volume.

Missy had roamed the base all day yesterday with no sighting of Aric, but this morning she was in luck. She had already eaten breakfast and was taking her dishes back when she saw him charge in the mess hall, heading to the caf decanters. I wish I knew how he would react, meeting me, she thought. She watched as he stretched his arms over his head and then scratched his head. Tall like his father, she mused, but more powerful, muscular. She ducked her head but continued to watch Aric until he left, and she jumped to her feet to follow. Maybe, today, she thought, skipping with excitement, until she saw her prey enter the secured part of the base. Sighing, she dropped onto a bench, and pulled out her datapad, knowing she'd be there for awhile until he came back out.

The meeting had started promptly. Miriah watched as the girls identified by the school's hallway cameras made their way in the conference room, their parents behind them, all of them having to endure the icy stare she gave them. Corso was waiting until everyone was there to bring Calypso in, and when he did, they could hear the parents in the room gasp in astonishment. Miriah felt tears prick her eyes seeing her beautiful baby so obviously hurting, but she was determined to remain in control. Lana, who hadn't see Caly, stood quickly, but Miriah put her hand on her friend's arm to stop her. Lana sat back down, and turned to Miriah. "Oh, my stars! I just want to hug her!"

"She would like that, after we deal with this." When everyone was present, including the school administrator, he stood.

"We've reviewed the footage of these four girls following Calypso into the refresher, and only these four girls coming back out. We can only deduce that the attack upon this innocent girl was perpetrated by the girls named here." The parents of the girls had had no idea, until those words were spoken, why they had been called to the operations center of the base, and now their faces fell as one. "Therefore, according to the rules that were voted on when we organized the school system here, the girls are hereby expelled from school for the remainder of this term. Without completing the coursework, they will not be allowed to continue on to their internships, and will have to repeat the coursework in one year, when it's offered again." He turned to Calypso. "Caly, you have my heartfelt apology that this happened on our campus. Do you have anything you want to add?"

Caly looked stunned but stood slowly. "I don't even know why you all thought I deserved this." Her head was held high and she looked confident. "I assure you that after this day, I won't think about any of you again. I would really rather they stay in school, so they can learn to work and be productive members of society, instead of bullies." She looked at Torian, then her mom, and smiled as best she could as she sat down, her muscles sore.

Aric stood then, his stern countenance making one of the girls shrink back in fear. "The laws of Odessen prescribe community service in cases of assault. The recommended amount is fifty hours, to be finished in a six standard month time frame." He paced in front of the accused, and one mother cried silently. "In addition, you cannot be within five hundred feet of Calypso Riggs at any time. Any violation of this, as well as any other incidents where law enforcement are involved, will revoke this sentence and you will be formally charged with assault and placed in the detention cells." Aric continued to pace until he was at the far end of the room. "Do you have any questions about this?"

One of the fathers stood. "I would like to extend my apology to you, Calypso. You have spent many hours in my house as a friend, and I am appalled that my daughter had a part in this." Calpso nodded to him, still with a half smile. Her face hurt when she moved it, making even eating painful. She felt Torian lace his fingers with hers, and felt her shoulders relax. The parents and girls filed out, with instructions to report to the duty officer for their community service requirements and forms. As the room started to empty, they heard a fierce growl at the door, followed by Solasta rushing into the room, Aissa strapped to her. She never said a word, just fast walked to Caly and embraced her.

"I'm okay, Miss Solasta," Caly whispered.

"That's the only reason those girls still walk," Solasta growled, then sent a soothing purr through her chest. They touched foreheads, communicating without words, and when they parted, they both felt better.

Corso helped Miriah stand and put his arm around her as she leaned into him. "Lets get you home and in bed, darlin'." She nodded and brushed her hand down Caly's arm.

"Going back to bed, my sweetie. You need to rest today, too." Caly nodded.

"We'll be right behind you. I want to spend some time with you both," she said, and Torian squeezed her hand, letting her know he was with her as well.

Missy saw Aric stride from the elevator and couldn't hide her smile. She followed him as he went along, inspecting troops at the family housing area, then through the cantina. She had to duck twice when he suddenly whirled around, his eyes searching for what his instincts told him was a threat. She nearly ran into him when he suddenly reversed, and when she was able to catch her breath, she saw that he had gone to his wife, and they were both now walking toward her. She was standing near the elevator, and when she realized their destination, she hurried away to stand under a canopy, her heart racing. She did not want Aric to know who she was, not just yet. When they disappeared, Missy went back to her room, trying to figure out her next step.

Miriah started to shake as she drew near the apartment door, and Corso picked her up, taking her straight to bed. "No more outings for you, young lady," he told her, getting a slight giggle. "I'll get you some comfortable clothes, you start undressing."

"But I thought you liked undressing me," she joked, and saw the heat in his eyes when he met hers.

"More than you know, darlin', but not until you're well," he told her, but swept her up in a deep kiss. Pulled against the warmth of his body, Miriah stopped shaking and returned his kiss, breathless when they broke. "Now, change and get under the covers. I'll go get your medicine," he told her, taking quick kisses on her face between words. She grinned at him as he left, and he felt she must be getting a little better.

Aric was in the kitchen with Maura and they were putting some lunch together, talking quietly. "I swear I could feel someone watching me today," he commented, scanning the food they'd brought in. "I tried to hear them, but nothing. It was eerie."

"I can imagine it would be. Wonder who would be so stupid as to think they could get the drop on you?" Maura asked, half teasing.

"Theron would," he said, and that sobered the grin off Maura's face. "He'd try it. I just don't know how he would be here without the alarms sounding all over the base."

"He's not stupid, just deranged," Maura said. "He'd never try to come here himself, not when he could send someone for him. Which is scarier."

"I'm aware now of something. I'll be on alert," he assured her, and she hugged his back, suddenly afraid for his safety when normally she was so confident in his ability to fight back.

Corso saw Caly come through the door, and was at once angry she was alone. "Where's Torian?" he asked guardedly, pulling her close.

"I sent him to his place, he wanted to shower and change, maybe take a nap. I'm safe, here with you," she told him, hugging him back. She wanted to stay and visit with her aunt and uncle, but her restless night was weighing heavily on her, and Corso told her to lie down with Miriah. He found them later as he had that morning, arms around each other, Caly's head on her mom's shoulder.

Missy took out the photos, now wrinkled and faded, that she'd treasured for a long time now. She ran her finger over the images, a sad smile on her face. There was so much to be discovered, she thought. So many things to talk about and share. She closed her eyes and remembered, and let her mind soar. When she woke from her trance, she sat on the bed and replaced her most cherished objects in the lock box under her bed, and vowed to face him soon.


	16. Chapter 16

Miriah was finally feeling better, and was determined to go back to her office this morning. Her fever had dissipated overnight and she woke draped across Corso. Not a bad start, she figured with a smile. She dressed and sat down, suddenly winded. Corso heard her coughing and found her as she struggled with her boot. "No," he said, taking the boot and putting it out of her reach. "Mir, you need to be symptom free before you go back to work, so that you don't infect anyone else!"

Miriah groaned and rolled her eyes. "I hate leaving Lana with so much to do!" she wailed, and started coughing again. When minutes passed and she still coughed, Corso gently unfastened the command tunic and replaced it with a thick fleece shirt, then pulling her up and into him, stroking her back.

"Lets go get some more cough medicine and some hot lemon tea," he told her, his arm around her waist as they went to the warm kitchen. Miriah sat at the table and sniffled, and when Corso put the tea in front of her, she thanked him with a hoarse voice. "I know you hate having people do stuff for you, darlin', but the reason this bug has made it's way like wildfire through the base is because so many people go back to their lives and spread it around." He kissed her head, and she sighed. She knew he was right, but she was just well enough to be bored without working. She took one of the flaky chocolate croissants that Caly had made last night from the plate and picked at it, wondering what she would do with the whole day to rest.

Aric was walking with Maura to the mess hall when he suddenly stopped and turned around, peering into the shadows he'd just walked past. Maura's heart went out to him, he'd been jumpy and paranoid all evening last night, and now, felt like he was being followed. He needs to sleep, she thought, and maybe eat a whole meal. She took his arm and led him inside, parking him in one of the secluded nooks and going for their breakfast. When she returned, he held his head in his hands, not looking up. "I'm going crazy, aren't I?" he asked, and Maura pulled his face up.

"You are a little hypervigilant right now," she told him. "But you have a valid reason." Aric sighed and glanced out at the rows of tables, not really seeing anyone and everyone all at once. "Eat, hon. Get some food into you and we'll go check on Mir. Then, we'll see where everything goes, okay?" Aric nodded and took a plate, suddenly ravenous.

Missy had seen them come in and ducked her head, suddenly nervous. She really wanted to talk to him, but he didn't even know who she was. She had spent her night tossing and turning, afraid that if she approached Aric, he'd have her taken off Odessen. She really didn't want that, even though right now the snow threatened again outside. She sighed and rested her head on her crossed arms. The main breakfast rush was ending, and now there were just a few people who trickled in, and she felt exposed. Still, she remained, hoping her courage would find her again as she hid her face from the world.

Miriah and Lana were going through the daily briefing, and before it was done, Miriah was slumped on the sofa, struggling to keep her eyes open. Lana closed down her device and helped her friend get more comfortable, pulling pillows behind her and draping the soft throw over her. "Thanks, Lana," Miriah told her, her eyes closed. Lana only smiled, she'd known Miriah was pushing too hard too fast, but then she wouldn't be Mir if she didn't. Corso came to check on them, and saw his wife succumbed to her illness and thanked Lana with a hug.

"She just doesn't know how to slow down," Lana said. "I don't think she means to overextend herself, she just goes until she can't."

"Too true," Corso replied, walking with Lana to the door. "I'll check back this afternoon, see if she needs to do anything urgently." Lana waved and he turned to check Miriah for fever, which she didn't have. Maybe she's on the mend now, he thought, and sat across from her, scanning his own datapad for news on the ranch and the new Soro Suub weapons.

When Aric and Maura left the mess hall, Missy quietly followed, blending in with the people crossing the courtyard. It was very cold, and the wind howled around them all, but Missy was intent. Aric had pulled the hood of his heavy coat over his head, and since he felt like his senses were muffled, he constantly turned around to canvass the area behind him. At the elevator, when Missy thought they'd be gone, Aric turned down the promenade after giving his wife a kiss. Her spirits suddenly lifted, she ducked in the shadows, seeing him turn again to scan the area. She needed to be careful, she reminded herself. With that, she let him get further away before resuming her stalking.

Aric could feel it, the eyes on his back. He whirled again, his eyes straining in the snow that had started coming down in thick, wet flakes. He blinked rapidly, but saw nothing. He turned back to his patrol, wishing he'd gotten another to go with him, but glad he'd told Maura to go inside. He shook his head. What if I am imagining things, he wondered. Maybe I can get the flu twice, or something. He pushed his hands deep in his pockets and hunched his shoulders, checking to see that the area was secure. He had almost reached the entrance to the family housing when he felt it again, and spun on his heel. There! He saw the movement behind him, and stopped still. He strained his ears, trying to determine where his assailant was, but the snow was too thick and falling faster. Aric wiped his eyes and stood perfectly still for at least a minute, then turned around to patrol the housing. I know there's someone there, he told himself, and I will catch them. He trudged forward, determined to stop this.

Caly had felt well enough this morning to visit with Mia and the babies, and had been playing with Declan in the floor. When the little boy crawled to her and she lifted him in her lap, he gently touched the purple skin on her cheek. "It's okay, Declan. It will be gone soon," she told him, kissing his little fingers. Mia had cried when she saw Caly, and even now, Caly could feel Mia's eyes on her, so she stood with Declan and got him ready for his morning nap. When Merida was sleeping too, Mia approached Caly.

"Are you in pain?" she asked, and Caly shook her head. She'd been a little sore this morning, but a hot shower had remedied that, and she had slept soundly on Torian's shoulder. She felt his absence now, but he'd gained her father's permission to gather some items from his apartment while Caly was with Mia.

"I was some yesterday, but I feel fine today. I'll be glad to have the bruising gone, I do feel self conscious about it." They made some lunch and sat together, chatting, when they heard the door chime. Aric stood on the stoop, grinning at them. The invited him in, and Caly made him a plate, getting a hug in return.

"It's really nasty out there," he told them, taking a bite. "And this is perfect." His brief respite refreshed him, and when he stepped outside after hugging Caly to him, he was ready to find out who was following him. He looked around cautiously, and Caly noticed.

"What's wrong, Uncle Aric?" she asked, peering in the same directions he was looking.

"Uh...nothing," he replied, and waved as he set off. The ground was covered with snow in the brief time he was inside, coming down heavier with fat, heavy flakes. He figured if someone was following him, they had to be cold and stiff by now as he'd sat inside. He started off toward the lake, and had been walking about five minutes when he feinted left and turned right, and saw his stalker. It was the person from the school! The hooded figure stopped and stared for a moment before taking off in the opposite direction, Aric in hot pursuit.

Maura was in the war room when she heard Aric break over the relay. "I've found him! On foot, following the school suspect now, in the housing area!" She could hear his struggle to breathe as he tried to run on the new snow, and turned to gather a team to assist him. She had just shrugged on her heavy coat when she heard Aric again. "I'm trying to push him from the family housing but he's fast," he panted.

"Hang on, honey. We're on the way," Maura told him, motioning to the teams she'd requested. "Don't engage until we can back you up." She got no answer and swore silently, hoping they could resolve this once and for all.

Missy had just reacted when Aric turned and saw her. Conscious thought had nothing to do with it. After all this time, she thought, I'm going to kark this up. Still, she couldn't stop running, since now she knew he only saw a threat. She was having trouble in the snow, same as he was, but she was lighter and younger, and managed to keep her lead. But for how long, she wondered, ducking between houses for a little breather.

Torian was walking with Caly and saw Aric running, which made him stop. When he heard the situation in his relay, he felt the pull to help, but knew he was on a different duty. Still, he had to struggle with himself to ignore the obvious chase that was going on, and continue into the war room with Caly. When they entered the Riggs apartment, he told Corso what was going on, and he quickly walked into the kitchen to grab a relay on Aric's frequency, tossing the second to Torian. They sat in the kitchen, listening intently.

Aric stopped to catch his breath. He had to have gone into hiding, he thought, not seeing any movement ahead. His hands on his knees, he could hear the back up team on the way, and fought to regain his energy. The team was still a good ways behind him, he knew, but he started forward anyway. He had almost reached the next house when the figure darted from between them, running toward the half frozen lake. "Stop!" he shouted, but wasn't surprised at all when the hooded person continued to run. He could feel his heart pounding, and had been seeing black spots in the edges of his vision for several minutes, but surged forward, yelling again for the person to stop. He drew his blaster, hit the charge switch, and carried on, gaining slightly on his prey.

Missy knew she couldn't continue. Her legs were screaming at her, and she was feeling faint as well as sick. All this time, and I blew it, she berated herself. Still, she continued forward for several more steps before stopping suddenly. She turned, and pulled her hand out of her pocket, holding the small black metal case with a few of her mementos.

Aric saw his chance. The person stopped and turned, and Aric saw the hand come out of the pocket, holding something black. Before he could process the thought, he squeezed the trigger of his blaster, seeing the first shot go wide. Taking a steadying breath, he fired two more times, and the suspect went down. He straightened and took a deep breath, but didn't take a step until the team joined him at the edge of the lake. The suspect lay on the ice and they could see the snow turning red. "I couldn't have killed him, just got a shoulder and leg," he forced out between short breaths, still trying to recover from the extended chase.

Maura reached her mate and hugged him hard before punching him in the stomach. "You don't ever go off on your own like that, ever again," she scolded, then kissed his breath away again. "Oh, Aric! If something had happened to you..."

"Shh, baby. I'm fine, just winded. Lets go see who our stalker is," he told her, holding her against him, partially because he needed to be with her and partially because his legs were rubbery.

Missy felt the blaster bolts as the hot plasma hit her skin, and recognized the smell of singed fur, but then everything was just numb. It felt like she fell onto the ice in slow motion, her face seeing Aric's as he relaxed after she was down. He always does things right, she thought with a smile. Even now, when he doesn't even know me, I trust him. She felt the pull to close her eyes then, and finally gave in, wanting her last sight to be of Aric.

Maura called for medical transport and they made their way to the fallen person. Maura, being a field medic, knelt beside the blood pool and turned the victim over to assess the wounds. "It's a Cathar female," she said, "and she's loosing blood fast." She pulled her small med pack out of her kit, and did a quick check. "The blood's coming from the shoulder wound," she muttered, and when she pushed kolto gauze into the wound, Missy opened her eyes for a few seconds in pain before lying back again. "I know her, Aric! She's the one who asked about you, I'd never forget those eyes!" Maura worked furiously then, hearing the med transport behind them. "Help me get her off this ice," Maura demanded, and the team gently lifted the injured onto the transport.

"We've already got a tank prepped," the tech told Maura who nodded and shed her bloodied gloves into their biohazard container. She turned to see Aric's face as he watched the transport take off.

"Who is she? And what does she want?" he asked her.

"We'll find out soon," she answered, and he took her now bare and cold hands in his, putting one in his pocket and holding the other as they trudged back to the base.


	17. Chapter 17

When Miriah woke, not too long after the apprehension of the school suspect, she was shocked to see so many people around her. Aric sat with Corso in the two chairs opposite her, Torian and Caly sat on overstuffed pillows on the floor, and Maura had taken the opposite end of the couch. "What's going on?" she asked, her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Aric caught the person from the school," Maura told her. "It was a female Cathar, she introduced herself to me as Missy a couple of days ago."

"She is now in a kolto tank, she'll recover," Corso added, getting up to help Miriah as she struggled to sit upright, which produced a bout of coughing. Aric went to the kitchen for water and tissues, and when he handed them to his sister in law, she caught his hand.

"Are you alright?" she wheezed, and when he nodded, she let him go. She finally caught her breath and looked around at the group, who were all staring at her. "What? I'm fine," she told them.

"Well, at least you can say 'fine' again," Aric told her with a smirk, while Corso chuckled softly.

Magdalane worked on the injured Cathar and when she had repaired the internal damage, they lowered her into a tank. She was worried. The young woman had clearly been exerting herself when she was hit, and it caused her to lose much more blood than she would have if she'd just been in a firefight. Mags had already canvassed their supplies, and they had no matching blood should she need a transfusion. Cathar did not do well with synthetic blood. She set up a computer search, but didn't run it. She would find a match if she needed one, she figured. Felix was waiting to go with her to update the family, and she smiled at him through the glass wall, washing her hands.

Devin had heard of the incident, and had gone to check on Mia and the kids. He knew it had taken place on the other side of the lake housing, but still, he worried. Mia met him at the door, throwing herself against him. She was shaking, he noted, and held her close. "Mia, are you okay?" he murmured, and she let her force aura flare over them both. He felt her fear and then her worry. "From what I know, the woman will live. Aunt Mags worked on her, then put her in a tank."

"Aric had just been here, with me and Caly for lunch," she told him, and he felt a sliver of fear. He hadn't know that, and now he heard Declan singing in his crib.

"I'll go get him, love." He saw his son, and he'd never thought of the little boy as anything else, standing, holding onto the crib rails and laughing as soon as he saw his dad. What did the woman want? Was it only Aric she was interested in? He tried to put his thoughts aside and play with Declan, but the questions just ran in circles in his head. Declan looked out the window at the snow, and was fascinated by it, his eyes huge as he watched it fall. Devin started to take him out in it, but realized the cold was just too brutal for little faces. Instead, he sat in the floor by the window, and when Declan would clap his hands and look back at his dad, Devin shared in his delight.

Aric and Corso went to the cantina manager and explained what they were looking for, and neither were surprised when she was able to take them to the room the woman had rented. There they saw what any visitor might bring, until Aric looked underneath the bed and drew out a medium sized plasteel case. He gingerly lifted it onto the bed, and sat down, flipping the lock open. He was silent, his eyes wide, as he lifted the first image from the stack that filled the box. "This is...me," he said softly.

"What is?" Corso asked, checking the closet. He turned to see Aric's face and hurriedly joined him, taking the image Aric handed him.

"That's me, on my fifth birthday," he said, his voice filled with disbelief. "You can see my father behind me there, and my aunt is the one holding the cake." He shook his head slowly. "Who is this woman? How does she have these treasures? I thought all of the family history was being kept on what's left of Coruscant." He held up another image to the bare bulb light in the small room, and Corso heard his voice waiver. "Mom..." he said, and quickly stood, stuffing all the images he'd removed back into the box. "Let's get out of here," he said, and in two long strides, he was in the hallway, Corso running behind him.

"Aric," Corso called, catching his friend. "I'll keep it to myself, you know I will. Whatever you want, man, you know I've got your back."

Aric turned to his friend, his brother, if he were honest with himself. "I know. I'm not sure right now what I want to do, but I do know I have to go to the medcenter."

Lana stopped in at the Commander's place, she knew she'd likely find Calypso there. When she finished answering questions about the apprehension, she drew Caly aside. "I have the weeky coursework for your classes lined up. You'll have to still attend, just remotely. You can hear everything going on, but if you have a question, you'll have to type it in and the instructor will see it on his screen." She showed Caly how to log in, and when they both felt comfortable with the set up, Lana studied Caly carefully. "Are you sure about this? I mean, the girls are gone. You could just go back and have the experience of being with your classmates, interacting with your teachers. I don't want this incident to isolate you from everything out there."

Calypso nodded, and smiled. "I really prefer this. I always felt like I was on display, and the pressure to be a good student, a good person, is intense when you're the Commander's daughter. This way, I can do what I need to do," she said, and saw Lana's face relax. "Thank you, Lana. I really didn't want to go into that place again."

"I'm glad it worked out. I'm sure being the Commander's daughter helped some, but I know you've always been a good student, too." Caly sighed in relief. Now, she could finish the courses she needed, and not ever have to step into the same place where she felt singled out and ridiculed. She gave Lana a hug and returned to Torian's side, feeling settled for the first time since the incident.

Aric studied the woman in the tank, but felt no recognition. He looked for clan signs or birthmarks, or patterns in her striping, but had no point of reference for either, and sighed. Who is she, and how does she have these things that link her to me? Why did she not come to me? He had no immediate family left, only a few cousins and family friends, clan mates. Maybe his great uncle might remember her, he thought, but then realized the man was very old, and the chance he would even recognize Aric was remote.

Corso watched his best friend as Aric agonized over the injured Cathar. He had stopped for caf on the way to the medcenter and now nudged Aric's hand with the hot cup. They stood, shoulder to shoulder, sipping their beverages, silently thinking, when Miriah and Maura found them. Corso fussed over Miriah, wishing she'd stayed resting, and drew her to a chair, leaving Maura with her husband. "She will be able to answer all your questions soon enough. What charges does she face, though? Other than evading you, she's done nothing wrong." Maura's soft voice, so close to his ear that he felt the warmth of her breath over his skin, made him reach for her.

"I wouldn't even charge her, if she'd just tell me who she is and what she wants here," he confessed, and she rested her head on his shoulder. "I just want to know."

"We all do, Mags says a day at most, unless the blood loss becomes an issue," Maura told him, feeling him sigh against her. Aric's run this morning, combined with his loss of sleep, had him ready to collapse, and Maura made him sit. "Rest a few, then we're going home," she told him, and reluctantly, he nodded. He had accepted that she had to have some knowledge of his family, and truth be told, he was almost afraid of what she would say.

"Aric?" Maura asked quietly, not wanting her voice to carry.

"Hmm?"

"Could she be your daughter?"

Aric turned to gaze into her eyes. "No, she is not my daughter," he told her. "I never knew a grey Cathar in that way, and to do so would have been against my clan laws. Her markings are of another clan, a very old clan who are friendly with my family, but no. She is not mine." He stood, ready to go home, and saw Corso and Miriah at the elevator, on their way home as well.

Corso saw his friend approaching. "You know where I am," he said, and Aric hugged him. When they stepped off the elevator, he didn't stop until he had Miriah on the sofa again. Caly had cooked dinner for them, and Torian had brought them light snacks that she'd make.

"I admit, I could get used to this pampering," Miriah said, and Corso laughed.

"No, you couldn't. If you weren't sick, I'd never get you to sit still this long," he told her, bending to kiss her nose.

"Is Aric going to be okay?" she asked him, and he could hear the concern in her voice.

"I think he'll be fine, once he gets to ask some questions." He slipped her boots off and tucked her feet under the throw, and she watched him carefully. When he met her eyes, she could see that he would tell her nothing more, and had to accept that.

After dinner, when Miriah was medicated and in bed, Caly and Torian went to her pod. First, a shower then talking a little, and they settled in to sleep. Caly would be attending her class remotely in the morning, and Torian would return to his regular duty. They had been sleeping for several hours when Torian turned her in his arms and began kissing her. Caly's eyes flew open, and then closed again to the sensations that rose in her. He had his hands in her thick hair, and when she had to breathe, he continued to kiss her throat, pulling her under him. She was flooded with sensation, with new and delicious feelings. When his hands brushed her breasts, she jumped up, and realized he was only half awake. His eyes flew open and the color drained from his face.

"Caly! Oh, sweetheart! I'm sorry," he said, holding his head in his hands. "I never meant..."

"I know," she told him, kneeling beside where he sat on the edge of the narrow bed. "I could have stopped it, but it was too amazing, until..."

"We have to be cautious, love. The pull of our desires is very strong, and will serve us well into the future, but for now, this is too much." He stood and pulled on his boots, and looked back at her, his heart in his eyes. "I'll go to my place. You have the HK here still."

"No, Torian. Please, I'll.."

"You'll still be beautiful, and smell like berries and sugar, and I'll still want you with every cell of my body," he finished. "If I go now, you'll still love me in the morning. I'm not so sure of that if I stay." Caly didn't know what to say about that, her own libido still singing inside her. When he stood to go, she pulled his face down and brushed her lips over his.

"I'll always love you," she whispered, stepping back. In her mind, she knew he was right. Her heart and her body disagreed. She had to be the stronger one, just like her mother had told her only a few weeks ago.

Magdalane stepped closer to the kolto tank and withdrew a sample of blood into the small device in her hand. When she saw the results, she sighed. This young lady needs blood, she thought, and activated the program she'd outlined earlier. All the other signs pointed to a full recovery, except her blood counts. She thought through the parameters of her search. Every citizen of Odessen had a genetic profile in the databank, and every possible blood type and subtype would be written in that genetic code. She knew it might take a while for every record to be scanned, and then eliminated, until the perfect donor was chosen, but she had faith. She had started to leave the room when the computer terminal chirped and she turned instead to read the results, her hand covering her gasp.

What she didn't have were the words to tell Aric that, genetically, the woman currently in the tank shared at least half of his DNA.


	18. Chapter 18

Magdalane knocked quickly on the door, willing herself to be strong. Felix squeezed her other hand as they waited. In only a few seconds, Aric opened the door, his eyes squinting in the light of the hall. "What happened?" he asked, instantly alert. "Is she okay?" He knew he didn't have to identify who he was talking about.

"She's going to be fine," Mags reassured him, and he stood back to allow them inside. "The only thing is that she needs a blood transfusion, and when I was looking for a suitable match, I found you." Aric nodded, held up a finger, and hurried down the hallway. Mags only looked at Felix, unsure about what was happening, until Aric rushed back to the living area, fully clothed.

"Let's go," he said, starting toward the door.

"Wait, Aric. There's something else." At Magdalane's voice, he turned, and she saw the wariness in his eyes. "There's a reason you're the only match. She shares fifty-two percent of your DNA. You and she are the only two Cathar on this base who have even a ten percent match."

Aric sighed. He'd had a hunch there was some catch to all this, and here it was. "She's not my daughter," he said.

"No, but I believe she's your sister," Mags said softly, and saw the change on Aric's face. Where he was tired and wary, now his visage was sad.

"My sisters are all dead," he said, but she could see he held a shred of hope that maybe that wasn't completely true. "They were all the same fur color as me. So there must be something wrong somewhere, but if I match, I'll donate blood. It's the least I can do, since I shot her." He had almost reached the door when Maura flew out of the bedroom, ready to follow. Mags and Felix stood and let the Jorgans lead, and wondered what the next few hours would bring to their hard won peace on Odessen.

Caly couldn't fall asleep with Torian gone, and instead pulled her computer out to work on some things she'd missed the past two days. She was still humming with the sensations she'd had when he was touching her, and found her attention wandering to relive those moments. Mia, she thought. I need to talk to Mia. She'll be able to hear me without freaking out. With that thought, she closed out of her computer again, and sent a message to Torian, telling him she was thinking about him. She closed her eyes then, and felt sleep overtake her.

Maura held Aric's free hand as Mags took his blood. He had closed his eyes, the whir of the machine she was using lulled his tired mind and he drifted. His sister? He recalled his littermates, who had been killed in an Imperial attack on Balmorra when they were little more than kits, staying with an aunt there. His mother had died in childbirth with his other siblings, and they had perished as well. As far as he knew, only he was still alive of his immediate family. His father had died almost twenty years ago, fighting a clan war on Cathar. Aric sighed. He supposed that his father must have found solace in the arms of Missy's mother at some time before then. Cathar mate for life, and should a mate die, the remaining partner would never take a mate again. That said nothing about casual sex, or the fact that Missy's fur patterns marked her as Clan Marath, making her almost family even without the DNA.

Maura saw Aric's eyes moving back and forth, and wasn't sure if he was dreaming or thinking. She remained silent, her own thoughts only of trying to comfort him. Her only question was the mating for life aspect, but she knew she'd be able to ask him soon. Instead of disturbing him, she lay her head on the arm of the lounge chair and tried to relax. He doesn't need any more stress, she thought, letting his even breathing soothe her.

Corso woke to an empty bed, and heard Miriah in her tub. Good, he thought. She must be feeling better this morning. He lay there listening to her hum and sing softly, and thought about how good it was to have her back. This week would be three years that she'd been home, and he was thankful. Thinking back on how bleak those five years away were made him grateful he could lie here and hear her voice. He went to join her, sliding into water very much hotter than he would have chosen, her giggles further lightening his spirits. He hugged her to him. "So glad you're feeling better, darlin'. I love you, so much."

Miriah leaned her head back on his chest. "I love you, too, sugar. Everything okay?"

He kissed her and closed his eyes. "Everything is perfect."

Aric rolled his head toward his wife. "Sweetheart, is Mags done?" he asked her, and she held a glass of juice out to him, waiting until he'd had a sip to answer.

"Yeah, it's all over with, big guy," she teased. "Missy is going to get the transfusion in about an hour. Mags said something about letting the cells rest before giving them." She saw him wake a little more and held the juice for him again.

"Ugh. No. I need caf," he said, and Maura reached behind her for the insulated mug she'd filled while he napped. She had just pulled some of Caly's cookies from her pocket when he reached for them, making her smile. When he had wolfed down two cookies and had several sips of hot caf, he gave her a huge smile. "Now, I'm good. Thanks, beautiful," he told her. Maura sat down again, determined to let him rest a bit after saving Missy's life.

Mags had the gray Cathar woman on an exam bed, fresh from the kolto tank and shower. Her fur dried fast, Mags noted, indicating some dehydration. She was also painfully thin, although not from recent shortages of food, no, this stemmed from childhood. Mags could tell from the slow bone growth and tooth decay that this woman had likely always been on the fringes, never having enough food or healthcare. Now, her internal wounds were healed, and the blood Mags had taken from Aric was ready to replenish Missy's supply. Mags watched it drip through the clear tubing, and felt her fatigue. She had been awake over twenty-four hours now, and she pulled on the force to clear her mind and calm her thoughts. She stood over Missy as Aric and Maura made their way into the room.

"How's it going, Mags?" Aric asked and they heard the note of worry in his voice.

"It's going great, actually. She should be waking up very soon." Mags turned to look at her brother in law. "Still no idea who she is?"

"No, but I found pictures of myself as a child and of my...parents that she had in her room," he told her, never taking his eyes from the prone woman on the bed. "I want to know why."

"Well I'd like her to stay calm until we get this transfusion done, so if you want to get breakfast, go ahead. We'll be right here," Mags said, and they could feel the calming waves of force she was putting out. Aric pulled his datapad from his pocket and sent off a quick message, getting an equally quick response.

"Mir and Corso are headed to the mess hall, we may join them, update them on what's going on here. I'll bring you something back, Mags."

"That would be lovely," Magdalane murmured, her attention still focused on Missy.

Missy could hear voices around her but her brain was sluggish, and she wasn't sure why for a moment. She felt like she was floating, like she was in a dream world where everything was okay. Even when she recognized Aric's voice, she didn't panic. It's fine now, she told herself. He's not going to reject me, and even if he does, I'll be okay. She felt the waves of sleep overtaking her again, and decided to just let herself be, for once. She was warm, she didn't feel in danger, and she wasn't hungry. She figured it was a vast improvement over her life on Coruscant, and smiled to herself, floating along in what she considered a dream.

Corso and Miriah had just sat down when they saw Lana rushing in. "Uh oh," Corso said, and tried to smile at the other woman.

"What's up, Lana?" Miriah asked, her voice calm. The hand she placed on Corso's bouncing knee brought warmth and other things to his mind, and he settled.

"We may have found the planet that Theron was trying to find on the map," she said, her voice vibrating with excitement. "We're triangulating it now for coordinates, but it's a very small moon. I'll have some more info soon!"

Miriah watched the expressions on Lana's face. She was excited to think she might have found where Theron might be hiding, but as she continued, the anxiety crept into her eyes and now, she was wondering what she was feeling. "Lana, he may not be there. Or he may be there and ready to eliminate me and the Alliance. We won't and can't know until we can go there." Miriah's voice was gentle, soothing, and Corso realized that she was trying to prepare Lana for whatever may come. They had discussed to death the info that Lana had given them about his mood during their fighting on Copero, and Miriah thought Theron might be trying, once again, to manipulate Lana's emotions, and that infuriated her.

"I know, but at least it's something" Lana replied. "It's great to see you up and about, Commander, but don't overdo things." She was about to say something else when Nico sauntered up to the table and Lana stood. He tipped his ever-present hat to Miriah and offered his arm to a beaming Lana, who took it and followed him to one of the nooks.

Corso chuckled. "I never thought those two would hit it off," he observed, and Miriah hummed her agreement. She had just started to eat again when Aric and Maura joined them, telling them about Missy and her links to Aric. This is what Corso was hiding last night, she thought, but I see why. She took his hand and felt him squeeze her gently. They enjoyed their meals, and when Aric stood, Corso saw Miriah jump up as well.

"Let's go see our injured person," Miriah murmured to him, and he bent to her ear.

"Are you feeling up to it? Remember, she doesn't need to be sicker," he whispered, and she nodded.

"I'll be fine, and I'll keep my distance."

They all gathered in the room where Missy lay still, her transfusion complete. Aric went to her side and took her hand, and she slowly opened lovely light green eyes. When she registered who held her hand, she had a moment of panic and Aric saw it. "I'm not going to hurt you, Missy. I promise," he said softly, and little by little he felt her start to relax. "I've figured out that we're related, but I'm not sure how."

"Your father was my father," she croaked out, and Mags raised the head of the bed, giving her a cup with a straw to sip some water. "I was four years old when he died, and he knew me, saw me at least once a week. My mother was in love with him, and he cared for her, but he could not love her." She closed her eyes, ashamed of her birth. "When he died, we lost everything. My mother could not go back to her clan, and she wasted away until she died, eleven years ago. I was thirteen, and all I had were the memories of my father and better times."

Aric had pulled a chair to the bed, while everyone else stood around, enthralled by the story. "My mother had told me while I was growing up who you were," she said, staring into Aric's eyes. "She said you would kill me if I ever revealed who I was, that I brought shame to your family." Tears gathered in Missy's eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

"How did you survive, all that time alone, on a planet like Coruscant?" Maura asked, the mother instinct in her instantly alert. This young woman was born a few years after the twins, and Maura reached out to touch the soft fur of her arm.

"Maura Chantalle Jorgan. I always wanted to be like you," Missy said, her voice slightly slurred.

Maura smiled softly at her, and saw her eyes drooping. "Let's let her rest, guys. We have plenty of time now to get to know her." Aric looked at his wife with appreciation, he knew she already thought of Missy as family.

"You're safe here, Missy," Aric said, and saw the smile on his half sister's face. "Please, don't run again."

"I won't," Missy whispered, and Aric felt her hand go slack as the young woman succumbed to her body's healing.

Caly ran from her place and across the war room, stopping only for the elevator. When she emerged into the blinding sun reflecting off the new snow, she momentarily stopped to get her bearings, but set off again toward the housing area. She raced up the steps and didn't wait for Mia to let her in. "Mia, I need you," she panted, and Mia laughed as Declan pulled up on Caly's leg. "You're the only one I can talk to about this. I'm ready to really be with Torian!" Mia felt the blood rush out of her face at Caly's words, and slowly closed the door.


	19. Chapter 19

Aric fell onto his bed, his body's ability to carry forward gone. He had wanted to reassure Maura, hold her close and tell her how much he loved that she instantly accepted Missy, but his blood donation plus his lack of rest the past few days combined to make his limbs heavy and his eyes heavier. He sighed, and Maura was there, stroking his head and kissing his nose. "Sleep, love. I'm here," he heard her say, and let himself relax. He knew the detail had Miriah, and that she would be well looked after, and even if it was the middle of the day, he could rest. He snuggled into Maura's arms and was gone.

Caly excitedly told Mia her thoughts, and while Mia didn't immediately panic, she felt her anxiety grow with every word. When Caly stopped talking and looked to Mia for an answer, the young woman drew her even younger sister in law to sit on the sofa. "Caly, you'll be fifteen years old in a few months," Mia said gently. "You are still so very young. I know, he's exciting in many ways, but Torian doesn't want you to do something you're not ready for."

"But I am ready!" Caly insisted. "What I was feeling last night was amazing, and I want more!" Caly stood and paced, unable to sit still.

"You think you are, but in reality? Not so much," Mia said. "I was twenty-three years old, and I wasn't totally ready, even though I had the force for support. It changes you, Caly. Both good and bad. It allows you to be totally devastated if things don't work out, or if feelings change along the way. Not to mention the physical changes and the constant worry about whether you're good enough to hold his interest or how you compare to other partners he's had." Mia saw Caly's face fall, and wanted to hug her. "I know that's not what you wanted to hear, but you needed to."

Caly trusted Mia to be totally honest with her, and knew now that what Mia was saying rang true. "So what do I do now? How do I be around him without wanting his hands on me, his total attention, like last night?" she asked, her body tingling with just the thought of Torian.

"Enjoy the sensations you feel," Mia told her. "There's no reason you can't touch each other, I mean, that's the only way you're ever going to finally be ready for him. Just always keep your clothes on, and if you feel uncomfortable at any time, tell him. Torian will have the hardest time, men are just wired differently. You may have to be the stronger one, but believe me, it's worth waiting."

Caly sighed, her mom had told her much the same about being the stronger one already. "Thanks, Mia. I appreciate you being willing to talk to me about it."

"Anytime, hon. I'm always here for you, you know that, right?" They hugged, and Caly really did feel better as she walked briskly back into the base, the cold wind picking up across the packed snow. She felt chilled as she'd come inside, but Torian was walking across the war room as she came off the elevator, and she felt her body heat at the sight of him. This isn't going to be easy, she thought, and waved.

Corso watched Miriah carefully as she worked through a small list of items that Lana had given her. She looks so small behind that desk, he thought. She read and typed and pulled another datapad to her with her other hand. She's so good at this, so in tune with what's needed on this base, with the Alliance. How does she just know? He saw her frown but then relax as she found the item she was looking for. After a few minutes under his scrutiny, Miriah looked at him. "Cor, are you sure you're feeling well? You've been a little lost in thought today," she told him, and he stood to go to her.

"I'm just in awe of you, darlin'. I was reminded this morning of the time you were frozen, and I guess it's making me even more thankful you're here, with me." He bent to kiss her and she smiled against his lips.

"No where else in the galaxy I'd want to be than with you, sugar," she told him, kissing him again. They heard Lana clear her throat and moved apart, Corso grabbing one last quick kiss before resuming his spot on the sofa.

"Sorry, guys. I have an urgent holo from Saganu," she told Miriah, and placed her personal holo on the desk and taking the call off hold. "Go ahead, Aristocra."

"Greetings, Commander. I wanted to update you personally that we have information that Theron Shan had contact with a known member of a Zakuulan gang. I'll be forwarding that information to you once this call is completed. I also wanted to check on our emissary, Ensign Temple. Is she settled there?"

"She is," Miriah answered, seeing Lana nodding behind the holo image. "And thank you for the update. I trust you'll continue to let us know anything involving our traitor." With well wishes from both, they ended the call.

"Again, sorry to interrupt," Lana said, blushing slightly.

"No need to apologize," Corso told her. "Aric would be fussing at me if he were here." They laughed, and Corso went to get them all some beverages, leaving Lana to talk with her boss.

"Lana, I'm concerned for you," Miriah said, and motioned to Lana to sit in the soft chair across from the sofa.

"Why? I'm doing well," Lana said, and Miriah could see in her eyes that she believed that.

"I don't want pry, but it seems that one moment you're excited about finding Theron, the next you're on Nico's arm." Miriah sat back and knew she was not going to be able to work much longer, her muscles still not back to normal yet. "It's not my business, but you're family, and I worry about you."

Lana gazed into Miriah's eyes. "I'm okay. I know that Theron and I are over, but I will probably always have to guard my heart around him. Nico and I have fun together, no strings. I don't think he's ever really been in a relationship before, and that's perfectly fine with me." They could hear Corso returning, and Lana leaned toward Miriah. "Thank you, my friend. I appreciate you being concerned about me." They sat back and laughed at Corso balancing hot cups and a bag of goodies, helping him as they settled around the sofa to chat.

Missy had eaten and was resting again when Mags looked in on her. Her vitals are good, she noted, and she didn't have any difficulty eating, so Mags was inclined to let her go home, but didn't really want her to be in that small, dusty room she'd rented. Instead, she contacted the quartermaster and secured an apartment for her in the same building as Torian and Solasta, which made her smile. At least she would have a place of her own, Mags thought. And Aric can visit with her. She had also contacted Hylo about some furniture that might be available, and directed her where to have it sent. There, she thought. I've done all I can. Felix came to her as she was finishing up, and hugged her.

"You need rest, my love. Are you done here? Can I take you home for a nap, at least?" He felt her relax against him, and he swayed with her, loving the closeness.

"I think I'll have Missy stay here tonight, just to make sure she's resting, and yes, I'll go home with you," she told him, her cheek on his. Mags relayed her info to the tech at the desk, and they strolled out, hand in hand. The sky had started to darken with clouds, and Mags could feel the snow pending. She asked Felix if they had enough supplies for a few days, and when he assured her they did, she kissed him, right in the courtyard.

"What was that about?" he asked her, amused at her spontaneity.

"We're about to get several days of snow, and if we need to stay inside, I wanted to make sure we didn't have any reason to leave," she told him, and he immediately felt the passion in her aura as it whispered over his skin.

"We'll be perfectly fine," he told her, and she giggled at the look in his eyes as they hurried home.

Raina had been working nonstop on the map reconstruction, and now found herself cold and tired as she trudged to the mess hall. It looked like snow again, she saw, and shivered. She had not been told that Odessen would have such cold weather, and was ill prepared for it after the tropical climate of Copero. She welcomed the warmth of the dining area, and took a tray, getting in line. She chose her food for maximum warmth and comfort, and settled in at a long table. She had just started to spoon the fragrant stew into her mouth when someone sat across from her. Lana had spotted her alone, and wanted to reassure herself that the young woman was doing well on Odessen.

"How are things, Raina? We had a call from Saganu today and he asked after you," Lana said.

"I'm okay," the young woman replied, but her face was impassive.

"You have everything you need? Warm clothing? Friends?"

Raina laughed. "I'm perfectly fine, Lana. I work, I eat, I sleep. I've met people here, but I'm fine on my own. Have been all my life." Lana frowned at her, and Raina sighed to herself. She would never understand the need some had for company. The only one she wanted to be friendly with was Torian, and he was wrapped up in his girlfriend. So, she made her peace with being part of the team here, but not involved with friends, romantically or otherwise. Now, she shrugged at Lana, and continued to eat in silence.

"Well," Lana finally said. "I'm always around if you need anything. Or just someone to talk to." Raina smiled at her, wanting to put her at ease. The awkwardness she felt here was her own problem, she'd either figure it out or deal with it. When Lana left, though, she couldn't deny the emptiness she suddenly felt.

Caly followed Torian to his place, intent on cooking for them both. When they got inside the door, however, he pulled her close for a kiss, and several kisses later, they broke apart, both struggling to catch their breath. "I didn't sleep a wink after I left you, Caly. I so wanted to just do that, just kiss you."

"I know," she smiled at him. "I wanted that, too. I had a good talk with Mia after school today, though, and I think I understand things a little better now." She put her hand on his chest and felt the accelerated beat of his heart. "Apparently there are many things we can do without being naked. I trust you know a few?" she asked, batting her eyelashes at him. Torian's grin spread slowly across his face before he nodded, at once embarrassed about where his thoughts went and excited to know Caly was thinking along the same lines he had been. As long as we fly under the Commander's radar, we should be fine, he told himself, knowing Miriah's network spread all over and promising himself that he'd take things no farther than Caly allowed, or that he felt okay with. That settled in his mind, he gently turned Caly to the kitchen.

"Sit, sweetheart. I'll cook tonight, you watch and critique," he told her, loving the relaxed look on her face as she took up a spot on one of the stools.

Aric woke and looked around him. It must be early evening, he thought, and slowly sat up. When he went to the kitchen, he found Maura preparing dinner and put his arms around her, kissing her neck. "Hey," she said softly. "I figured we'd have dinner and go visit with Missy before it got too late."

"Great idea," he told her, not letting go of her until she laughed, then turned to kiss him. They made their way over to the medcenter just as it started to snow again, and this time, when Aric pulled his hood over his head, he didn't feel trapped. They had just arrived at the room when they saw Missy walking with one of the techs. "Hey, sis," Aric called out, and her head came up quickly.

"Hey, Aric. Maura." They let her get settled in her bed before joining her, noting that she looked better than she had earlier. "So great that you came back," she said softly.

"I told you I would," Aric said, but his voice was gentle, as if he were talking to his own daughter. "I hear that Mags has been busy."

"A place to live, with actual things in it," Missy said, her eyes sparkling. "I want a job, too. Something I can to do make my own way." She picked at the blanket covering her. "I can't believe all of this could have been prevented if I'd just approached you."

"All in the past," Aric said. "We'd like to welcome you to the family. Maybe after this snowstorm, we can have dinner with everyone." When Missy looked at him with a frown, he just laughed. "Calleigh and Colin, our twins. Coleen, if she can be persuaded to visit from Coruscant. Mir, Corso, Felix, Mags, Sarai, all the kids." Missy's face went blank, and Aric worried he'd scared her. "They're all good people, Missy, who only want to help."

"It's not that," she sniffed, taking the tissue Maura offered. "I've never had this before."

"Had what before?" Aric asked.

"Family."


	20. Chapter 20

Miriah was sitting at her desk when the duty officer ran up the narrow hallway, being detained by the troopers outside. She heard the shuffling and the muffled voices before Aric poked his head in the door. "Priority call, Mir. On the main holo in the war room." She sighed and stood. This morning had been nothing but interruptions, and this was just one more.

"Okay, I'm coming," she said, and saw Corso's hand on Torchy's grip, unsure of what was going on. When they were surrounded by the detail, they made their way to the holo, and Miriah was surprised to see a pureblood Sith's image. Even though she had never met him, she knew instantly it was the new Emperor of the Sith, Vowrawn. The black clad troopers dispersed around her and she was looking up at the holo image, her expression wary. She said nothing, merely stood in front of the holo, hands clasped at her back. After several seconds of staring, Vowrawn finally spoke.

"Greetings, Commander. I wanted to reach out to you to ensure that our current treaty is still in place, even in the wake of Acina's death." He appeared to get closer to the holo's camera, studying the slight woman in front of him before smiling his broad, sensual smile he reserved for special occasions.

"I learned you'd risen to command several weeks ago, and I haven't sent the Eternal Fleet to your door yet," Miriah responded, and shifted to cross her arms over her chest. "I can't promise to remain so distant."

Vowrawn laughed, throwing his head back, before meeting her gaze again. "I can assure you, my dear, that nothing will change on our part. We still will be very grateful for your help rebuilding some of the razed planets, and will in turn respect your ships and their routes. We can be friends, can't we?"

"Acina was not my friend. We worked well together. It remains to be seen if the same is true for you," Miriah answered, her eyebrow arched at him. "For now, the status quo will remain."

"I promise you that you will have no reason to change that," Vowrawn declared. The holo image winked out and Miriah let out her breath in a big whoosh.

"That was interesting," Lana said, having walked in just after Miriah.

"It was," Miriah agreed. "We'll see how long the good will lasts."

Caly saw her parents and Lana, and all the black troopers, as she exited the elevator. It was early morning, and she had fallen asleep on Torian's couch last night. Now, her hair was mussed and she looked thoroughly kissed, a faint bite mark on her neck that she'd tried to cover with her coat collar. I can't let them see me like this, she thought, and ducked into Solasta's office, figuring it would be empty. She sighed in relief when she found no one there. Miss Solasta would throw a bigger hissy than Mom and Dad, she figured. After she could hear the detail leave the main room, she eased herself out and rushed across the space to her pod. Once inside, she hastily braided her wild hair and logged into her class, only a few seconds late. Even if it was heart stopping, she smiled to herself, the night was awesome. She tried to push that thought out of her head and concentrate on the lecture, wishing she'd been presentable enough to stop at the mess hall for breakfast. Instead, she sighed and propped her head on her hands, waiting for the break.

Lana hurried to her office, wanting to get everything she could find on Vowrawn to Miriah as soon as possible. She literally ran into Aric trying to slide into her office door, making him reach out to steady her. She gave him a grateful smile and then hit her hip on the corner of the desk. Hobbling to her chair she bit back the swear on her tongue and her fingers flew over the keys. Having had to report to Vowrawn when he was on the Dark Council and she was Head of Intelligence, she knew a little more than the official reports and the gossip sites. When she had three datapads with info on different holo sites, she made her way into Miriah's office, still limping a little. That's gonna look nasty, she realized, rubbing her side. "I have some background on Vowrawn," she told Miriah, and the boss motioned her in.

Corso took the opportunity to check in with Aric and stretch his legs. "That was unexpected, to say the least," he told Aric about Vowrawn's call. "But you know Mir, she always has had a poker face. She stood her ground with him."

"She's one of a kind," Aric agreed. "I'm kinda glad I never met her when she was smuggling illegal goods. I probably would have fallen for whatever she told me." Corso stretched his arms above his head and yawned.

"Think I need some caf, you in?" he asked Aric, who nodded.

"I'll come with," he replied. "Bring some back for Lana and Mir." They threw on their heavy coats and hurried across the snow covered courtyard, hoping for a brief respite from the flakes that seemed to get caught everywhere. Inside, they saw Torian, and said hello.

Torian saw Corso and Aric and it was all he could do not to blush to his toes. Caly and he had spent most of the night just kissing, and he felt more freedom to actually be with her and not so concerned that he'd scare her away. He'd let himself taste her, feel her against him, and he'd felt her response to him. Now, though, thinking back on it, he felt uncomfortable in Corso's presence. He had only taken a brief lunch break, and now, glancing at his chrono, he knew he needed to get back on patrol. He had worn a path in the snow around the main hangar bay, and almost welcomed the cold air on his face as he quickly exited the mess hall. This is going to be a long year, he thought, but try as he might, his thoughts always returned to Caly and how incredibly soft her skin was against his.

"Vowrawn is going to see you as a challenge," Lana said, putting the last of her datapads in a stack. "He thrives on them, and with the tough stance you took on the call, he'll try to woo you to his favor."

"He can try," Miriah replied. "He's had a long time in a seat of power, so I'm sure he has lots of support among the Empire, but it won't mean much if he can't clothe and feed them. That's the major concern I have. Will he put his people above his need for games?"

Lana sighed, she'd had much the same concerns after learning who had gained the throne after Acina. "If he can't, we can expect an influx of refugees. I'm really glad Haven is up and running well, we may have to consider another expansion soon."

Miriah nodded. "We may, indeed. My shipbuilder has been busy," she noted, and saw Lana smile.

"He has, and there have been a record number of applicants to work not only on yours but on two others his group is working on."

"It's good to see the industry and the community in this place," Miriah remarked. "I had no idea, three years ago, what we'd be getting into. Now, it seems every day is new growth in some way."

They worked for several more hours, until Corso gently drew Miriah to her feet. "It's been a long day, darlin'. Let's go get some food," he suggested, hugging her close.

"Why don't we go home first?" she purred. "And then, maybe some food." She felt his emotions shift and ran her hands over his back.

"Then let's get the hell outta here," he growled, and led her into the hallway. They moved quickly with the detail clearing the way, and as soon as they were inside, they were lost to whatever was happening outside their door.

Nico watched as Lana hurried to the mess hall. Once there, he slipped in behind her, taking her hand. "Oh, Nico! You startled me," she told him, but her smile told him she was pleased he'd found her.

"Go, find us a place to sit. I'll bring food," he suggested, and she nodded. He'd tried, he told himself, to leave her alone, but not only was she smart and well spoken, she was very passionate and enjoyed their time together. Hard package to ignore, he thought, and smiled. He picked their favorites from the offerings and made his way to the small nook she'd chosen. Hard to ignore, indeed.

Torian was exiting his shower when he heard music in his living area. Caly must have gotten here early, he thought, and continued to dress, taking his time. When he came out and saw Raina there, he had a moment of panic before indignation set in. "Raina, I thought we talked about this. I have no idea how you got in here this time."

"I just wanted to be with someone," Raina pouted, and Torian saw that she was dressed in some kind of drapey, clingy top that slid off one arm as she shrugged her shoulders. "I don' t know many people here and I'm lonely."

Torian kept his distance, and worried that Caly would be ringing the chime soon. "If you need a place to stay, you can stay here. I have plans," he told her, his voice cold. He grabbed his coat and left, and met Caly at the elevator. Whew, he thought, that was close. He met Caly with a hug and turned her to the elevator.

"We're going out?" she asked, frowning.

"I thought that we'd stay at your place tonight. I'm off tomorrow and you need to sleep tonight," he told her, and saw Raina leaving his apartment as the elevator doors closed and the car descended. This has to stop, he thought, and made a mental note to speak to his CO, just in case it became more of a problem. Caly smiled up at him, and he grinned back. No need to worry Caly, he determined, and when they entered the mess for dinner, he relaxed.

Corso tried to even out his breathing as he settled his head on his pillow, Miriah draped over him. "You are fabulous, sugar. I really missed that the last few days," she said softly, and saw him grin.

"Missed you, too, darlin'," he replied, and took a deep breath. His heart had flipped around a little bit during their lovemaking, but now it seemed normal. It was probably nothing, he told himself, and gathered Miriah to his side, letting his fingers explore her, lingering over her sensitive spots, loving the breathy sighs he drew from her.

"I figured you'd be hungry by now," she whispered, her eyes closed and her body responding to his touch.

"Only for you, my love," he said, kissing her palm as he drew her hand to him. Suddenly he stopped. She was just recovering from a serious illness, he realized, and this may be too much. "But you're right. We both need to eat." She protested when he slid out of the bed and pulled on pants.

"I'm fine," she said, blinking her silver eyes in his direction.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," he promised. "We can continue then."

"Okay," she said, defeated. "Bring some soup?"

"Absolutely," he told her, grabbing a kiss before heading to the door. As he got outside, he pressed the heel of his hand to his chest, where his heart had started to beat irregularly again. As quickly as he did so, the strange rhythm passed, and he strode across the war room, his stomach growling with the thought of food. It' s just because I'm hungry, he figured, and decided that if it happened again, he'd tell Mags.

Torian had stretched out on the bed as Caly went to shower. It was warm in the pod and the bed was soft, and they'd stayed up very late the evening before. He let the sound of the shower and the other factors lull him, and when Caly emerged in soft pajamas, she stifled a laugh. Torian was dead asleep, his boots still on. She nudged him over and curled into his body, and he pulled her close. This is nice, she thought, and closed her eyes, joining him in sleep.

Nico had worn himself out, and now lay, exhausted, beside Lana, who still glowed with force light. "You're the first Sith I've ever been with," he told her, seeing the lust in her eyes. "It's amazing."

"I never thought I could be like this," she told him, their faces close enough that she could see the different particles in his eyes reflecting her aura. "I never allowed myself to feel, to take that leap of faith." She chuckled derisively. "Well, I guess we both know how that went."

"He's an idiot," Nico said, his voice low. Lana didn't answer, just pulled Nico over her, wanting to get lost in her feelings and not think about Theron. At all.

Missy had gone to her apartment that afternoon, and now, she sat at the window, looking out over the courtyard. There hadn't been many things in the room above the cantina to bring in, but Aric had done so, and he and Maura had brought her dinner. She felt so grateful, so accepted. Mother was wrong, she realized, about a lot of things. The medical staff had repeatedly told her that she just needed some time to recover, and she'd slept for a while after her meal. Now, she gingerly rose from the window seat and shuffled to the bed, slipping under the warm blankets, and yawned. I'll see if Aric has any idea how I can use my skills for the Alliance. She knew she'd eventually have to tell him about her stint with the SIS, and she figured the Alliance had some need for her. She slept, knowing that whatever they asked her to do, she would do.


	21. Chapter 21

Corso woke with a start, and realized it was still nighttime. He hesitantly reached out his hand and almost sighed out loud when he touched Miriah. He moved to his side to look at her. Poor darlin', he thought. She did too much today, so soon after being ill. She slept deeply, her breathing slow and even, and though his arms ached to hold her, he didn't pull her to him. She really needs to rest, he thought, and felt a cold, sad sensation travel all the way through him. His heart had been fine since he ate, and he'd managed to get Miriah to eat a good dinner, too. I need her, so much, he heard in his head. He shifted closer to her and she rolled into his arms, and he felt her warmth against him, her arms around him, and it settled his uneasiness. He pressed a gentle kiss on her temple, and rested his head against hers. I don't want to leave her, was the statement that went through his mind. Nonsense, he told himself. I'm perfectly fine. He didn't move but didn't sleep for a long time.

Caly examined her face in the mirror. The bruises were fading quickly, and she could barely see the cut on her lip. She brushed her hair and opened the door, steam pouring out. Torian had gone to get them some breakfast as she got ready for her online class. She logged into the classroom and saw only a few people. Hmm, she thought, and looked at the time. She wasn't too early, only a few minutes, and sat there observing the class. Torian eased his way in and brought food to her, gaining a grateful smile from her.

Torian was going to go talk to his commanding officer, and last night, he'd had another idea. Maybe Gursan will have some advice for me, he'd wondered one of the times he'd woken with Caly's elbow or knee in a sensitive spot. We have to get a bigger bed for here, was his other mission. He smiled thinking about that, and when Caly had a break, he pulled her up and into a long kiss before taking their trash and heading out.

Missy felt so much better. She pulled on her warm clothes and made her way down to the mess hall. It was mid morning, and she knew that by this hour there would be a mixture of breakfast and lunch foods. It was her favorite time to come, so she could choose exactly the right thing. She had gathered a few items, nothing too heavy so that her recovering shoulder wouldn't be stressed, when Aric appeared at her side, taking the tray and motioning her to sit. He put his mug of caf beside her things and sat with her when she sat.

"Great to see you up and about," he told her, taking a long sip of the hot beverage. "Oh, man. That's the stuff," he said, and grinned. Missy smiled back, it made her happy to see him so much himself, larger than life.

"I'm doing well. I'm anxious to get started with my new life, but I know I need to be at one hundred percent for that." She quietly started to eat, and realized she didn't feel self conscious with him anymore. "How is everyone?"

"Maura is with Miriah this morning, and Corso and I are about to go get our daily workout in," he explained. "I was on my way to the office when I saw you and wanted to make sure you have everything you need."

Missy nodded. "I'm fine, Aric. I'm going to eat and then go nap, probably just rinse and repeat later."

"Good, that's what you should be doing. Just, let me know if you need clothing, or something for your place. We have tons of stuff in storage, that we will probably never dig out again. Maura already made me remember twice today to tell you." Missy giggled at that.

"I'll let you know if I think of anything," she replied softly, sipping the hot cider she had found to be a balm for her soul. They sat quietly for a few moment, enjoying the brief respite, then Aric stood.

"I'll get going, but I have one more question." When Missy looked at him, he smiled. "Missy is short for something."

Missy let a soft trill escape her. "Missandre Marath, at your service," she laughed, holding our her hand. Aric shook it, and with a short bow, waved as he took his long strides out the door. He so reminds me of Dad, she thought, but the thought didn't make her sad, as it usually did.

Miriah glanced over to where Corso stood, lazily propped up on a map table. She had requested to visit with the various branches of the inner base, and was now chatting with the duty officer by the main holo. She had woken completely wrapped in his arms, and while it made her feel safe and wanted, it was not their normal tangle of limbs. He'd been particularly attentive as they'd eaten breakfast in their kitchen, and even through the morning she'd noticed him staring at her. Now, his look was hungry as he gazed at her, ignoring everything around him, and she felt her body heat up. She raised an eyebrow at him, and was rewarded with a slow grin. Silly man, she thought, but she loved that he still flirted with her. She saw him push off the table, and with a slow saunter, make his way to her side. She nodded at the duty officer, who turned with a smirk of knowing on his face as Corso bent his head to kiss her cheek, letting his mouth slide to her ear. "Easy there, sugar. I figured I'd managed to slake this particular thirst last night," she murmured to him, letting her eyes close as she shivered under his tongue.

"As if I'd ever not want you," he replied, his voice rough with emotion, which made her wonder what he was thinking. "Lunch?"

"Food or fun?" she asked, just before she saw Caly heading toward them.

Caly saw her parents and at once had two thoughts. One, that they were so embarrassingly affectionate with each other, and immediately after, that she wanted that with Torian. Her dad straightened from kissing her mom and waved to her. "Mom, Dad. How are things?"

Miriah waited until Caly was close enough and gently took her daughter's face in her hands, turning her toward the light. "Mom," Caly protested.

"Looks good, Caly. How are you doing in here?" Miriah asked and ran her hand over the silky hair, which hung loose around the young woman's shoulders.

"I'm great, Mom. Really. Just going to meet Torian for lunch," she told them, and sighed when her Dad hugged her.

"Well then, go have lunch," Corso told her, getting a kiss on the cheek from her. He saw that she barely had to lift her head to reach him, and wondered when his little girl had gotten so tall. So much to be thankful for, he thought, and so much yet to come. It was then that he felt the flutter of his errant heart, though it steadied in only a few seconds.

"Dad, is everything okay?" Caly asked him, and he saw Miriah's worried face turned to him.

"I am perfectly fine," he assured them. "We're going home to eat, but enjoy your lunch, sweet girl."

With a slight frown, Caly left them, and Miriah took his hand. As they let the detail take them to the apartment, they didn't speak, but once they were inside, Miriah turned to him. "You're hiding something, something you think I'll not be able to handle. Spill it, sugar."

"Seriously, I'm fine," he told her. "Just a little heart skipping around."

"I'm calling Mags," she said, pulling her holo out. Corso put her hands over hers to stop her.

"What if I just go down to the medcenter, let her check me out. After lunch." Miriah stared at him for a long moment before sighing and moving into him. His arms circled around her and he felt her squeeze him hard. He wasn't ready to leave her, not yet. I'll do whatever Mags says, he vowed to himself.

Aric went looking for Corso, and finally sent him a message, grinning when he saw the response. Yeah, sure, just home for lunch. He walked up to Maura, who was standing post at the executive office tunnel. "How bout some time kissing a handsome man?" he teased her.

Maura made a show of looking around. "Where? I don't see.." He cut her words off with his kiss, and she laid her head on his shoulder. "I am so glad to see you, it's been boring this morning."

"Never boring," he replied. "Just calm. That's always good." They stood together, chatting, until they saw Lana running from her office.

"Where's the Commander?" she asked, and Maura told her that Mir and Corso had gone to the apartment. "Damn! I hate to interrupt them, but I have news. About Theron." Aric thought for a moment.

"She'd probably rather know than not know, but it also probably won't make a lot of difference whether it's right now or an hour from now," he said, and saw Lana slowly nod.

"You're right. The info I got from Saganu points to the Order of Zildrog, a Zakuulan based terror group. I want to get Senya on the holo with us and get some info on their past and what they've been doing, if she knows anything." Lana blew out a breath. "I'll go set that up and..."

"Lana," Aric said. "Go find Nico and have some lunch, or at least a break. You deserve that, you know."

Lana gave him a wry grin. "Maybe you're right. I can confer with Miriah and see what direction she wants to go when she gets back." They saw her put her datapad in a pocket and head to the elevators, and Aric swore she even walked happy.

Missy turned on the holo projector in her new home and watched the news updates from across the galaxies. We used to be able to do this, mom and I. Back before the bad happened. She had settled on the soft cushions of the sofa, and was almost dozing when the bounty on Theron Shan played on the newscast, and she sat up suddenly. Theron Shan. The name brought back memories of the dashing agent who had helped train her, then seduced her, before Valkorion had terrorized Coruscant. What has Theron been up to, that he would be wanted for treason here, she wondered, and took the new datapad from its box, powering it up and letting it run through its set up before doing a search. Her eyes widened when she saw the list of charges against Shan, including the attempted assassination of the Commander of the Eternal Alliance, considered a capitol crime that would cost him his life if he were caught. Wow, she thought. Theron's been a busy, naughty boy. She felt a moment of sadness for him, but realized that Aric would have taken his attempts on Commander Riggs' life personally and knew she would take Aric's side in this. She resolved to talk to Aric about it as soon as she saw him again. Missy lay back and let her memories consume her until her body shut down, and she rested.

Mags took them into an exam room and asked Corso about the episodes of arrhythmia. He described it to her and she examined the readouts of the multitude of instruments measuring everything about the man on the exam bed. She listened quietly, but it was Corso's last statement that had both her and Miriah gasping. "I don't want to die, Mags, but I have a very strong feeling that something is coming."

Miriah couldn't even speak, she just went to Corso and took his hand in hers. He threaded his fingers through hers and held on tight, not trusting his voice to be steady. "I don't see anything, Cor. No muscle damage, no indications of any chemistry off. Based on what you're telling me, it seems to be in the evening more than any other time, right?"

"Or if I get aroused… you know.." he blushed deep crimson, hating to have this discussion with his sister in law.

"Okay, I get it. Eliminating all the other factors, let's look at how you eat." Mags saw his blush recede and listened to his normal intake habits. When he mentioned caf three times before dinner, she stopped him. "Corso, you drink way too much caf. I think it might be causing this."

"I don't drink as much as Aric does," he replied defensively.

"He's Cathar, and metabolizes it differently than you do. And, he has no history of heart issues. Let's do this, because I know you can't completely cut it out, but stick to one cup in the morning, and if you need it, one in the afternoon." When he started to protest, she merely gave him a look and he meekly nodded. "We'll re-evaluate in two weeks, but if it starts up and lasts more than a minute, you need to call me, day or night."

"You can be sure we will," Miriah said, and Corso saw the shine of tears still in her eyes. He reached up to touch her face, and she held his palm to her cheek. Mags left them alone, and Corso sat up, pulling Miriah close, holding her as she shook with tears against his chest.

Lana had found out that they'd gone to the medcenter, and as much as she didn't want to intrude, she desperately needed Miriah's focus. If Theron is on Zakuul, then we have a chance to nab him, she thought. She had a sudden change of heart when she saw the boss's tear ravaged face, Corso holding her against his side. She made the decision to let it be for now, and abruptly turned away from the entrance to the medcenter, walking fast through the other side to the stairwell. I'll send her a message in a little bit, she resolved, and made her way to the office, afraid for her friend and worried about Corso.


	22. Chapter 22

Lana sank into her chair and carefully typed a message to Miriah. _I have some news about the group Theron is working with, the info Saganu promised. Nothing urgent. Let me know when you want to meet about it._ She rubbed her temples with her fingers. What has happened, she wondered. Could the Commander be pregnant? No, no, she recalled. That' s not possible for Miriah. Then it has to be something with Corso, and she felt her worry grow. She had just made the decision to go for some tea when she heard the troopers of the detail heading down the hallway. I'll just wait here a few minutes, she thought, and leaned back in her seat.

Miriah went to the tiny refresher built into her office and splashed cool water on her face. She was still trying to get over Corso thinking he was going to die, and just remembering his voice and the look in his eye when he had made that statement made tears form again. Stop it, she told herself. If I look upset, that's just more stress on him. She took some deep breaths, slowly letting them out, and when she felt relatively calm, she swiped on some lip color and brushed her hair. There, she felt like she looked almost normal. She straightened her black clothing and pulled the door open.

Corso felt fine, he realized, other than the concern he had for his wife. He hadn't meant to blurt out his fears, but it seemed that Mags could tell his thoughts anyway. On the way back here, he'd tried to reassure Miriah. She'd given him a watery smile and ducked into the refresher, and he'd taken his usual seat on the sofa, trying to wait patiently. After several minutes, he stood to go to her, and the door opened at the same time. He still went to her, and kissed her cheek. "Let's see what's on the agenda for the afternoon, darlin'. Everything is normal here." She nodded, and half smiled.

"You're right," she replied, and took another deep breath, going to her chair and pulling her datapad to her. "Cor, can you go see if Lana is in her office?" He nodded and walked next door.

Lana startled when she saw him. "Corso, is everything okay?" she asked.

"I just have to cut back on my caf intake," he told her, but his light tone and smile didn't fit with Miriah's face down in the medcenter. Still, he seemed fine to her, and she relaxed. "Mir said to see if you were here."

"Yes, I sent her a message," Lana told him, standing to follow him back to Miriah's office. When they entered, Lana could feel the waves of worry coming from her friend, and tried to send out calming force. When she sat, Miriah looked at her expectantly. "Saganu says that Theron is linked to the Order of Zildrog, based on Zakuul. I thought we might holo Senya and see if she knows anything about it."

"Great idea. Let's get her on," Miriah stated, and pulled her holo from her pocket. When Senya's face appeared, she seemed stressed, and Lana exchanged a look with Miriah.

"Senya. How are things going there?" Miriah asked, and saw Senya try to smile.

"I'm afraid it's been better," she confessed. "The people here are used to being waited on by their droids, not working to build something. There have been incidents of protest and violence, things foreign to this world. I know, it's just part of evolving into a productive society, but some days I'd love to be back on Odessen."

"I'm sure there are some who believe Arcann's rule was the best, but they'll have to realize that in the end, a society that works together is more solid that one of decadence," Miriah said. "Believe me, you are not to blame in this, Senya. And you're doing a wonderful job with the rebuilding." They could all see Senya relax then. "We need to find out what you might know about a group called the Order of Zildrog. We have some intel that places Theron with them on Zakuul."

Senya's eyebrows rose up her forehead. "I personally don't know of them, but you can be sure that I'll be putting some feelers out. Check with my son, he may have heard of them."

Miriah nodded. "Great idea. Senya, don't let yourself get too stressed. Take some time for relaxation, every day, okay? And we're here if you need us."

Senya smiled then, a genuine one. "I will try, Commander. I miss you guys. I love being on Zakuul, but it's so great to see a friendly face."

"Miss you, too, Senya. I'll try to get there in a few days, see what we've found out," Lana told her, and they ended the call. Lana stood, pulling her datapad out.

"I'll send a message to Arcann," she said, and then bent over the desk, her voice soft. "You need to heed your own advice to Senya. Let me help."

"Corso had been having some heart issues," Miriah explained. "Mags examined him and feels like cutting back on the caffeine will take care of it."

Lana slowly let out her breath, at once relieved and concerned. "Then we'll do exactly that." Miriah smiled at her then, thankful that she had a good friend in Lana. "I'll let you know what Arcann says, meanwhile, you have some legislative things to approve or not. They're on your main terminal."

"Thanks, Lana." Miriah turned to the computer and pulled up the documents, getting ready for hours of reading and thought.

Torian had told his unit commander what was going on with Raina. "She just shows up, whenever she wants to, even if the door is locked. It's just getting a little out of hand," he explained, and his commander nodded. She'd heard of things like this, even if it did seem outrageous with an emissary to the Alliance government.

"Better get some biometric locks," she advised. "Two factor authentication. Not normally on an apartment door, but I know Supply has them. I'll send over an authorization right now." She pulled out her datapad and tapped a few keys. "Done. You are still assigned to personal security for the Commander's daughter, so go get your place secured and let me know if you have any other intruders."

"Thanks, Captain." Torian went to pick up the locks before meeting Caly for lunch. He was just exiting the elevator when he saw her ahead, and rushed to her side.

Aric saw the young couple entering the mess hall as he exited, his hands full with beverages and food, heading to Miriah's office. Mags had told him that Corso was cut off from caf, and if he were honest, he was wondering himself if it might not be a bad idea. Lately, whenever he got caf from the mess, it gave him heartburn all day. He kissed Caly's cheek, seeing that she was healing, and nodded to Torian. Maura was holding down the post at the offices, and he got someone to replace her as he went through. When he entered the office, Corso was reading on the sofa, and looked normal, he thought. Miriah was working through something that looked tedious on her screen. "C'mon, kids. I brought snacks," he announced, his voice bright and cheerful.

"As long as you didn't bring caf," Corso said, and jumped up to help place the goodies on the low table.

"Figured you guys didn't eat much lunch, and then the medcenter visit," Maura said, and blushed slightly.

"Mags told you," Miriah said, and shrugged. "It was a scary couple of hours." When she was near enough, Maura hugged her younger sister, and felt Miriah lean into her. They sat with cookies and juice, and by the time they'd talked and the cookies were gone, they all felt a little better. Aric walked with Maura out to the office tunnel entrance.

"I think we need a family dinner," Aric said. "I'll see if Caly and I can cook, and let them both be surrounded by all the love."

"Maybe Missy would like to come, too," Maura said, and saw Aric smile.

"Perfect. I'll message you," he told her, leaning in for a kiss. "See you in a bit." Maura watched her husband saunter off to find his niece and chuckled softly. He truly loved having a family.

Caly had followed Torian to his apartment, and now watched as he installed the massive lock. "It will only open on our codes," he explained, "and your fingerprint. Almost done." Caly questioned the need for this excessive security, but Torian told her it was because she would be there sometimes, and he felt better with it in place. She was all for anything that eased his concern, so she smiled and waited her turn for the set up. When it was done, she felt her datapad vibrate and pulled it out to see the message. "Uncle Aric wants to put on a family dinner. I can help him cook, what do you think?"

"Sounds good, and you said something was going on with your dad earlier. We need to be there," he responded, and Caly rewarded him with a quick kiss just as the door to the neighboring apartment opened and Solasta walked out.

"Improving security. I like it," Solasta said.

"Where's the baby?" Caly said excitedly, peering around Solasta into the apartment.

"Finally asleep," Solasta told her, and Caly saw the fatigue in her friend's eyes. "I wanted to nap, but I heard voices out here, wanted to make sure everything was okay."

"I'm done, sorry if we disturbed you," Torian apologized. "I just wanted to get this in place."

"I'm all for anything that keeps Calypso safe," Solasta told them, then touched her forehead to Caly's. "Now, I'm napping."

"We'll be quiet," Caly told her, but Solasta narrowed her eyes.

"Not too quiet," Solasta warned, and they laughed. Solasta went back inside, but she glanced over her shoulder at the young couple, making Caly giggle again.

"Let's go help Uncle Aric," Caly said, her voice soft, and Torian nodded, picking up his tools to put them away. Once the door closed softly, they made their way into the elevator, and Torian thought he saw a flash of color, but the door closed and he didn't get a chance to look again.

Missy had been soaking in the tub of her very own refresher, a luxury she had forgotten she loved so much. She was toweling off when the chime of her datapad caught her attention. Dinner, she read, and the thought of all of the people she'd only read about ready to welcome her made her excited. Absolutely, she replied, and pulled some clothes from the bundle Aric had sent over. She dressed and then lounged on the sofa, her body tired just from the afternoon. I'll set an alarm, she thought, and let her eyes close, happy to have something to look forward to.

Miriah had been glancing over at her husband, and saw him close his eyes. Well, we did have a lot of activity last night, she thought. She had gone through most of the documents she was supposed to work on today, and figured she was justified in shutting down her computer and leaving the rest for tomorrow. She stood, and saw Corso smile, his eyes still closed. "What are you thinking about, sugar?"

"Last night," he replied, and she couldn't help but smile back.

"Let's go home," she said, tugging on his hand. He stood and hugged her before turning to the door. Lana was just heading out as well, and they waved as she passed. At their apartment, they heard the laughter and voices from the kitchen and looked at each other.

"Caly, Torian, and it sounds like, Aric," Miriah said, and kissed Corso's cheek. "I want to go change, but I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Take your time, darlin'. Take a soak, if you want. Smells like they have dinner underway." He pulled her in for another kiss, taking his time, letting her feel how much he loved her. When they parted, he felt more settled that he had all day and she was off to their bedroom. He breached the kitchen door and saw Aric basting a ronto roast, and Caly chopping vegetables for the various pots they had going.

"Hey, man," Aric called out. "We're all having dinner here, if that's good with you."

"Of course," Corso said, and pushed up his sleeves to help out.

"Nope," Caly told him. "You're welcome to sit and talk, Mom, too, but we've got this. I'm training Torian." They all laughed at this, apparently Torian had some work to do on his knife skills, he wore three kolto strips that Corso could see. He went to the cooler and pulled out a Corellian red, pouring a good measure into a wine glass.

"Taking this to Mom, back in a few minutes," he told them, and made his way to the refresher.

Miriah had just slipped into the water when Corso came in, and she smiled at him as he sat on the edge of the tub. She took the glass and sipped, humming with pleasure. "This is really good, try it," she told him, and he agreed. They shared the glass and when it was done, he bent to kiss her. "Please don't keep this heart stuff from me, sugar. I can handle it. I can't handle not having you by my side."

"I promise," he told her, caressing her face before kissing her again. He explained what was going on in their kitchen, and she laughed at his description of Torian's fingers. For the first time since they'd been in the medcenter, she looked relaxed and happy.

Magdalane brought more wine and Sarai cake, and they enjoyed the evening. Everyone knew of Corso's scare and more than once he was caught in a hug. Caly had taken some old family recipes and put her own spin on them, and they went over well, gaining her praise and thanks. She still had class in the morning, though, and as soon as dessert was done, she and Torian made their way out. "Let's go to my place," he told her. "Bigger bed, but you'll have to get up earlier."

Caly thought for a moment. "Deal," she told him, and they strolled across the war room. Torian had enjoyed the family, but after hearing about Corso's heart, he decided tonight wouldn't be the best time to formally ask for his daughter's hand. We have plenty of time, he told himself, knowing he faced another challenge with Caly in his arms.

Missy left not long after, Aric offering to walk with her. "I'll be just fine," she assured him, touching her forehead with his. "I so enjoyed everything." She had a small container of cake in her hand, and Aric walked her to the elevator anyway.

"Sleep well, sister," he told her, and she smiled and waved.

I have to talk to him, she thought, and turned to call to him. "Can we meet sometime tomorrow? I have some ideas I'd like to discuss with you."

"Sure thing, message me when you're feeling up to it." She nodded, and turned to leave, hoping that he would still look at her the same way when she confessed to all she knew about Theron Shan. With that, she quickly crossed the courtyard, shivering in the night air, and was grateful for the warm apartment, a full belly, and the feeling of being loved, how ever long it lasted.


	23. Chapter 23

Lana had a terminal set up in Miriah's office and Corso now worked on mission planning and weapons inventory. He seemed to love having something to do, she thought, and sat across from Miriah, her datapad in her hand. "I've got everything lined out here that should be happening in the next two days," she explained. "Please, get some rest," she added in a low voice.

Miriah rubbed one eye and tried to smile. She'd been up most of the last two nights, pacing and thinking. Of Corso, and his heart. Of Theron, and his new associates. Of Vowrawn, and his leadership. The list went on and on, and she knew in her head that there was no use worrying about things she couldn't control, but she couldn't seem to let go of it. She'd been told that Caly was spending most nights with Torian, but she trusted her daughter and figured at least she was safe with him. "You're leaving now?" she asked Lana, and saw her sly smile.

"I am, and I'm taking Nico with me," she replied, and Miriah saw the brief flash of force light in her eyes.

"Okay," Miriah told her, and took the offered datapad. "I know where you are if anything comes up here that stumps me." They shared a laugh at that, and Lana waved as she shouldered her gear bag and set off to the hangar area. Miriah was working quietly when she felt Corso's hand on her shoulder.

"Darlin', you need a break. I do, too. Let's go take a walk outside, it's not snowing and the sun is even out." He saw her consider for a moment, then smile.

"That sounds perfect," she told him, standing to grab the heavy coat draped on a nearby chair. They exited the elevator and Miriah stopped, her detail momentarily unsure about what she was doing. She lifted her face to the sun and smiled, her eyes closed, and one of the troopers at her side chuckled. She stood there for several seconds before Corso nudged her.

"Remember, Aric said to keep moving," he said, and they made their way across the courtyard and through the now deserted shops area, heading to the housing area. Once there, Miriah stopped again, and Aric moved through the detail to speak to her.

"I just wanted to see where the new roads are going in," she explained, and Aric pointed out the flags marking the route. The road would lead through the housing area and have a security checkpoint before continuing to Haven, making commerce easier and providing a means of travel once the snow cleared. When she seemed satisfied, Aric chuffed at her.

"You're a still target here, Mir. We need to keep you moving," he growled, and Miriah sighed but started forward again, Corso on one side and Aric on the other. When they got to the edge of the lake, they turned, figuring that Miriah was ready to go inside and get warm. Instead, she turned to Aric.

"If we're doing a thorough job of screening our inhabitants, who are you thinking could take a shot at me?" she asked him, her voice calm with the right note of gravity.

Aric's eyes met hers. "As long as groups like the Order of Zildrog exist, you are in potential danger. We didn't see the deception in Theron until he had you on Umbara," he told her. "Theron is still an unknown, despite Lana's take on his demeanor on Copero." Miriah slowly nodded and they started back, the fresh air and sunshine no longer a pleasant diversion.

Caly had seen the black armored troopers in the courtyard when she went for lunch. She didn't know if Torian was with her mother or not, but when she went into the mess hall she saw Raina there. She waved and went to see what was being offered today, not really thinking about anything but her meeting with her internship director at the cafe in about an hour. She moved through the line and was spotted by the manager, who insisted on bringing her some fresh baked rolls, and told her how much her creativity was missed. She grinned and accepted her praise, and when she sat down she was smiling. It was a good day, she thought. She was on time for class even after waking up wrapped in Torian's arms, so safe and warm that she struggled to get out of bed. Class went well, and she only had a few more weeks before her real training began. She was startled out of her thoughts by Raina joining her, clunking a tray so hard on the table that Caly looked up with apprehension.

"Hi," Caly said, and smiled at the other woman.

"How's things going, after all that drama with the school girls?" Raina asked, her face impassive.

"Great, how are things going with you?" Caly asked, and saw the tough girl front Raina had shown melt away.

"Work is okay, but I miss friends," she finally said, and Caly felt her heart go out to her. "I also had no idea it would be so cold!"

Caly laughed. "It won't last much longer, and then it will warm up during the day and be cold at night for awhile before just being warm all the time. You'll see, people come out from all over when the days are warm." Raina didn't eat but picked at the dishes on her plate. Caly heard the armor of the troopers and knew her parents had come inside. Raina looked a little scared when she saw them, Caly thought.

"I'd better get back," Raina muttered, and Caly put her hand on Raina's.

"Torian and I are going to be here later, join us and just hang out," she said, and saw Raina's face light up.

"That would be great, thanks," she said, and hurried off as Miriah made her way to her daughter.

Corso went with Aric to the caf station, and when he grabbed a cup from the stack, Aric frowned at him. "You can't have this," he said. "Mags orders."

"I didn't have any yet today," Corso said, "I swear. Ask Mir."

Aric paused and studied his best friend, finally relenting. "Okay, then. If you're sure."

"Very sure," Corso replied. "My head is pounding from the lack of caffeine." They made their way to where they saw Miriah talking to Caly, sipping the hot, black brew. The girls are smiling, Corso thought, so all must be good. He took another sip of the caf and put it down. "This stuff is awful," he said to Aric, who had already put his mug in the dish return, making faces.

"Vile," Aric confirmed. "I'll make some wherever we end up." They returned to Miriah and Caly, who were hugging, and Caly hugged her dad before hurrying off to her meeting. Miriah took Corso's hand and the troopers formed up. As they made their way back inside the inner base, Miriah stopped and turned to the men.

"I think I'm done for today," she said, and they nodded. As they entered the apartment, Miriah put her hand on Aric's arm. "Call Maura, let's have dinner here."

Aric nodded, and continued to the kitchen. "First, some decent caf," he said, pulling the canister from the cabinet. "She'll be fine with it, though." Miriah pulled cookies from another cabinet and Aric smiled, his eyes sparkling. "All right! Now, we've got a party!" Miriah laughed and recalled their days of working on Dantooine, the children young, and all the cookies they'd consumed. She sat heavily, and felt tired.

Corso saw her face and bent to kiss her cheek. "Go, rest, love. Aric and I are in the kitchen, you girls can have the night off." She smiled up at him and he caressed her face. She didn't speak but went to the sofa and sat, her datapad in her hand. When he checked on her about half an hour later, she was asleep, and he covered her feet, then kissed her hair softly before letting her rest.

Torian found Gursan helping load supplies to take to Haven. "Hey, brother," Gursan said heartily, even though the lack of sleep showed on his newly tattooed face.

"Looks like quite a load," Torian said, gesturing to the line of loaded sleds.

"They're just getting started, and I don't think anyone expected this much snow," Gursan replied, leading Torian over to some crates to sit and pulled out his water bottle. "You look troubled, my friend." Torian explained the issue with Raina, and asked Gursan to keep an eye out, which made Gursan nervous for his new family.

"And," Torian said, "Caly and I are spending nights together." At that, Gursan stood, his hands clenching into fists. "Not like that," Torian sputtered. "Just.. she's still a little traumatized by the school incident. Not sleeping full nights, nightmares, sometimes she screams a little before she wakes up. I can't just leave her to be miserable. And, I am pretty sure her parents are aware."

"You can bet if it happens on this base, the Commander knows about it," Gursan replied. "And if Solasta hears of it, there will be hell to pay." Gursan blew out a breath. "How are you handling it?"

"Lots of cold showers. Reminding myself of her father and brother, who would be leading the pack to rip my arms from my body." Torian sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "I'm doing all I can to keep my promise to her, and to myself. The temptation is...staggering."

"I can imagine it is, for both of you." Gursan stood as another empty sled was placed nose to tail with the one they'd just filled. "I have to get this finished today," he explained. "We're setting off early tomorrow morning for Haven." He looked at Torian for a moment. "Keep an eye on my girls, will you? I should be back the next day, but just in case?" Torian nodded and waved as he left Gursan to his task. He did feel better, just talking to someone, he realized, and looked at his chrono, figuring he had time to shower before meeting Caly for dinner.

Corso went to wake Miriah, only to find her sitting up and working with her datapad. He figured she'd only been asleep for a half hour or so, and sighed to himself. He was well aware of her pacing sessions, and it made him feel terrible for putting more stress on her. She had been gently rejecting his amorous attempts, afraid to over stimulate his heart, he guessed. She didn't know she was breaking it by keeping her distance, he thought. He went to her and took the datapad, getting an amused grin, before pulling her up and against him. "I expect to do this later, without so much clothing between us," he told her, and she shook her head.

"Not yet. I want to make sure things have settled down before that," she said, and he could see the sadness in her eyes. Instead of arguing with her, he pulled her to him for a long, deep kiss, seeing her slowly come back to herself when he broke it off.

"I love you," was all he said, and she hugged him hard against her.

"I love you, too, sugar." They stayed that way until they heard Maura coming through the door.

Torian grinned when he saw Caly, but his smile slipped a bit when he saw Raina across from her. What's going on here, he wondered, and made his way to Caly's side. She turned to him with a smile, "I invited Raina to sit here with us," she explained, and he felt a little relief.

"Have you gotten food yet?" he asked, dropping a kiss on Caly's nose. He didn't miss Raina's eye roll, but focused his attention on Caly.

"Not yet, we were waiting for you," she told him, standing. He let Raina go ahead of them, and pulled Caly to him to whisper in her ear.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked, and saw the doubt enter Caly's eyes.

"I thought we could introduce her to people, she said she was lonely," Caly said, shrugging. Torian sighed, he knew Caly was the kind of person who wanted everyone to be happy.

"Okay, we'll see how it goes," he said, following Caly. He only hoped that by finding her some people to associate with, Raina would lose her interest in him. He saw some of his company entering, and waved them over. These guys will be friendly, he thought, and lost himself in their easy banter, keeping Caly close by.

Aric noticed that Corso kept Miriah's wine glass topped up and when the sisters adjourned to the family room with dessert, he asked his friend what was going on. "I figure she needs rest. When she'd have episodes of insomnia in the old days, we'd get her drunk and she'd be able to sleep. I'm hoping just for a little tipsy and a few hours of decent rest." He sighed. "She's a little freaked out by the developments with Theron but she's a whole lot freaked out about me."

"She'll figure it out, Cor. Give her a few days with no episodes, she'll be right back to being herself." Aric put the last of the plates in the washer. "And I hope she can sleep tonight, too."

Sarai lay in her bed and felt terrible. She had gone to lunch with Mags today in the mess hall, and hadn't felt well since. She propped up on pillows and pulled out her datapad, thinking about requesting some medicine from the medcenter, but instead, decided to just close her eyes and wait it out. I'll talk to Mags tomorrow, see if she also felt bad. Maybe we need to inspect the food preparation. She drifted off to sleep, her datapad falling to the floor.


	24. Chapter 24

Corso felt Miriah get out of bed and tried to suppress his groan. She'd gone to sleep easily enough, but he feared she was up for the night now, so he was pleased and surprised when she only made a quick trip to the refresher before returning to cuddle against him. He merely wrapped her in his arms, feeling her relax against him and then her slow, rhythmic breathing indicating sleep.

By morning, Corso was still holding her, her back to his chest. He was reluctant to move, afraid to break the spell. He inhaled deeply, her scent filling his nostrils, making other parts of his body wake up. He watched for any reaction, letting himself enjoy how pliant and relaxed she was in his lap. His hand was resting under his shirt that she was using as a nightgown, against the smooth, warm skin of her tummy. Moving his thumb, he brushed her side and felt the outline of her rib. This has to stop, he decided. He closed his eyes and began to softly stroke her, using feather light pressure to gently wake her. He blew out a breath and saw her skin respond and her slight shiver. Miriah moved closer, fitting herself more firmly against him, and he had hope. She responded to his touch with breathy sighs, and Corso increased his tactile stimulation. When his hand slipped under the edge of her panties, she suddenly opened her eyes and placed her hands over his, stopping his motion.

"Corso, I don't know..."

"I do. Let me love you, darlin'. I promise nothing will happen."

"You can't promise that, you don't know."

"I know that a life without being able to make love to you is no kind of life." He pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. "I am perfectly normal, and I want you with every cell that I have. Please?"

"You'll tell me if anything happens?"

"I will." He turned her to him and kissed her, letting her feel how much he wanted to continue with his explorations. Miriah lost herself in him and they proceeded to tell each other how much they needed each other, both physically and mentally. When they finally lay together, Miriah propped up on Corso's chest to look into his eyes.

"Nothing?" she asked.

"Nothing," he confirmed, and pulled her up to kiss her again. They were going to be very late getting into the office, and Corso didn't care.

Corso was cooking omelets when he got a message from Aric. _Is everything okay? The detail just said you guys were still inside._ He couldn't help but grin, tapping out a message that everything was more than fine. He knew Aric would know exactly what that meant, and focused on getting Miriah fed before she started the day.

Caly had spent the night alone, tired after all the excitement of her meeting and classes, then staying out laughing and talking with the group they'd joined after dinner. It was good to meet the people that Torian worked with all the time, and she'd actually slept well. She was just pouring milk over her cereal when the chime rang, and she opened it to Torian himself, who kissed her and held up fresh baked croissants he'd picked up. "They're not as good as yours," he said, "but they'll do. I wanted to catch you before class. How did you sleep?"

"Not so bad," she said. "What about you?"

"Terrible," he said, "I missed you." She hugged him and they sat to eat, both having things to get to this morning. As Torian stood, he asked her if she'd heard from her parents this morning.

"No, why would I?"

"I just saw the detail in the hallway still, and I don't usually. Anyway, meet you for lunch?"

"I'll message you when I head out," she told him, taking another quick kiss before going to her computer. I hope Dad is okay, she thought, and sent a message to her mom. The answer came quickly that all was well, and she breathed a sigh of relief, turning her attention to her instructor on the screen.

Lana and Senya hugged as they landed, Zakuul still quiet in the early morning. "I am so glad to see you," Senya said. "How is everyone back on Odessen?" Lana explained the overall picture as they walked toward the office Senya had set up. Senya glanced back and saw Nico strolling down the ramp, and looked hard at Lana for a second before laughing.

"I'm guessing your interest in Theron is not for the same reason it once was," she commented, and saw Lana blush.

"I've decided to just enjoy my life. Miriah has shown me that there's room for more than just work in every day," Lana replied, and saw Senya nod.

"She's the living proof of that, to be sure." They saved the meat of their discussion for the office, and once it was secured, Lana related all that they had gathered on Theron. The map data file that they had thought contained the destination of Theron and his group proved to be nothing more than a corrupted file, and now the Zildrog lead was all they had left.

"Is this Order of Zildrog the same group who got a new leader as Miriah was blazing through here, trying to recruit one of our own?" Lana asked.

"No, not that we've been able to find. It seems they're a group all their own, and the only images I could pull up show a gnarled figure in a bone dragon mask, signifying the dragon form of Zildrog." Senya poured them tea and offered it to Lana. "I'm afraid I just need a little more time here to get to the bottom of it. Indo has been critical in this investigation..." she broke off at Lana's own raised eyebrows at the mention of Indo Zal. "He's an old friend, and yes, we've grown close. Believe me, I do not trust easily. He's earned that trust."

"I'm glad, Senya." They sipped their tea in companionable silence for a bit, each lost in their own thoughts.

Sarai walked into the medcenter and Mags was immediately on alert. "Mom, how are you?" she asked, taking the older woman's hands in hers. She could see the pallor of Sarai's face, the slightly sunken eyes, and her concern grew.

"I'm feeling better than I did last night. I was fine until we ate lunch, and I wanted to ask if you had any issues last night," Sarai replied.

Magdalane frowned as she thought. "No, I didn't notice anything. What kinds of issues?" Sarai described the nausea, the dizziness, and slight metallic taste in her mouth. "Let's run some tests," she said, taking her mother's arm.

"I don't think it's anything," Sarai started, but Mags wouldn't hear her arguments. They walked over to the area set up for urgent care, and Mags helped her mom onto the exam bed. The instruments winked on and Mags studied them for a couple of minutes. "I see some slight abnormalities, most could be attributed to dehydration, but given the timing, I think it's best to keep you and give you some fluids, then check again."

Sarai sighed. She'd been afraid everyone would overreact due to her age, but if it settled their minds, she'd go along. "Okay," she said, and lay back, welcoming the warm blanket Mags tucked over her.

Miriah had finished the things Lana had set out for her, and was about to suggest to Corso that they end the day early when she received a message from Arcann. He wanted to meet with her, it said. She replied that she was available. Now, she waited for the reformed dictator to come into the office. He'd sent the message as he'd parked his speeder, so it was only minutes later that he was checked through security and escorted to her by Aric. She stood, and Arcann was astonished by her quick hug.

"I have you to thank for all the wonderful fruits and vegetable that I find in my kitchen," she explained, and he smiled. She loved the transformation his smile made to his normal somber demeanor.

"I am very happy that you have enjoyed them," Arcann replied. "I came because I just got the message about the Order of Zildrog. I have heard of them before, many times. They worship the dragon of Zakuul, Zildrog. It is said that Izax himself took the dragon form before granting it to Zildrog. The Heralds of Zildrog, on Zakuul, are followers of that religion." Arcann settled into the chair across from Miriah, and Corso saw the seriousness on his face. "They are definitely a terror group. Their methods vary, but they've been known to use sabotage more than anything else. Nothing is safe, from the food and water supply to travel routes and even space travel." He paused and leaned toward Miriah. "If I were responsible for your safety, I'd keep you in here. Control exposure to the outside, every thing checked and double checked."

Miriah sighed. "Aric would love nothing more than keeping me here, surrounded by troops. I feel like I do that now. But, like I told Aric, I have to remain accessible to the people here. How can I not show my appreciation for all they've done? No, I have to be able to go out and be with people, let them see who they fought with and for." She stood to pace, and the men could see the concentration on her face. Corso knew to just let her figure it out, and when she did, she rubbed her face. "Okay, for the next few weeks, I'll keep to the inner base, and we can pursue this group." She returned to her seat, and saw Arcann's concerned eyes.

"I think you are doing the right thing," he told her, and she nodded. "Thank you, for seeing me so quickly." He turned to Corso then. "I left more things for your kitchen with Aric."

Corso rose and shook Arcann's hand heartily, and they walked to the door. "You are the one who should be thanked. We've been telling Mir that for weeks now, but somehow coming from you, she accepted the truth and didn't get upset."

"I am glad that she will be safe," Arcann replied. "Just be vigilant. This group will not go quietly." Corso nodded his understanding, and Arcann waved as he strode to the elevator.

Caly was on her way to meet Torian when she got the message to come to her mother's office. She bit back a swear. Surely Mom won't be putting her foot down again, after all that's happened. The young woman turned and made her way back into the secure area, and hugged her uncle at the tunnel entrance. "Mom summoned me, any idea why?" she asked, and he just kissed her head.

"Go, talk to her," was his only reply, and she made her way to the office at the corner. Miriah was at her desk, and she could see her dad at his workstation. They seem okay, she thought, and when her mother looked up, Caly only saw love in her eyes.

"Caly, sweetie. We got some intel on this group that Theron is supposed to be associated with, and I'm assigning Torian to you full time. Please, unless it's unavoidable, stay inside this area until we have a chance to figure out who on Odessen might be a part of this, okay?"

Caly considered this. "So, he can go out and get food and such, but otherwise stay in here?" she asked, almost afraid to be hopeful.

"Yes. I'm going to see if your brothers and their families want to set up in here too, at least temporarily," Miriah told her. "I know you two are already spending the majority of your time in each others company."

Caly blushed, but realized that her mom hadn't yelled or even fussed at her about it. "Should I let Torian know?"

"I've already sent a message to his company's duty officer," Miriah said, "but you should let him know to bring dinner in unless you want to join us."

Caly thought for a moment. She had seen the bag of fresh produce with her uncle, and turned to her mom. "I'll cook for us, we can have dinner with you, if it's alright." Miriah stood to hug her, giving her an extra squeeze.

"We'd love to have you," Miriah said, and followed Caly to the office door. "In fact, we're going now." Corso went to retrieve the produce, and they waited for the detail before heading down the tunnel.

Aric had already sent messages to his detail troops and instead of a daily rotation, they all agreed to have one permanent detail and the others doing recon all over the base. He looked up from his datapad to see Maura in front of him, and he stood from his kneeling posititon to hug her. "Oh, my aching knees," he laughed, his warm breath tickling her ear. "You got the info I sent?"

Maura nodded. "I brought gear bags, and we have a very small place above the smuggler wing. Mags says Mom is in the medcenter for some tests, but didn't seem concerned. She and Felix are down the hall from us, and there's plenty of open space in that area. We should all be accounted for except Devin and Logan and their families."

"Sounds good," Aric said, and took the bags from Maura's shoulder. "Let's get settled in." They set off for the smuggler wing, Aric's mind at ease. For the moment.

Mags examined the monitors above Sarai. "Mom, things look good. Some fluids and vitamins, and the abnormal values are now normal."

"I feel good," Sarai said. "I'll just go home and rest." Mags took her mother's hands in hers and explained the current security situation. "Well, then, I'll just go gather a few things. I trust I can be protected for that."

"I'd rather you stay here, at least overnight. We can continue the fluids and you can rest, and then tomorrow you can start fresh." Sarai considered that for a long minute before she agreed. As Mags started to leave, she heard Sarai speak.

"You girls worry too much," she groused, but it was said with a wry smile.

"We love you too much to take any risks," Mags answered, and Sarai shooed her out, laughing.

Calypso and Torian made their way to her pod, and Caly stopped him before he went inside. "I have a surprise for you," she told him, and when he opened the door, his eyes went right to the larger bed she'd managed to get delivered. "I figured if we have to stay here, I want you to be comfortable, too." He hugged her tightly and ended it with a long kiss, and before they parted, they ended up on the new bed, their hands searching and their breathing ragged. Torian had the brief thought of Solasta and baby Aissa in the apartment, and vowed to himself to check on them in the morning, just before Caly guided his hands under her shirt, and all logical though fled his mind.


	25. Chapter 25

Missy paced the apartment. She felt better than ever, but it had been days since she'd promised herself she would have a conversation with Aric. Now that she knew he was on his way to her, she was nervous. Afraid that what she was proposing was beyond her skills and knowledge. Still she was determined to tell Aric all she knew. When the door chime sounded, she briefly thought of hiding in the bedroom until he gave up and left, but she found her feet going toward the door. Aric stood there, smiling, with a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

"Missy, how are you," he said, and presented her with the winter flowers. "I'm so sorry I haven't gotten here sooner."

"I can imagine you've been very busy," she said, suddenly shy in his presence. "Let me put these where I can enjoy them." Aric followed her into the living area and once she'd placed the flowers on the low table, she sat and motioned for him to sit as well. "I wanted to fill you in on what I've done the past few years, because I think I can be of use to the Alliance." She paused, taking a sip of water, then continued. "When Mother died, I was too young to get work legally, and she left nothing of value behind. I started stealing, anything. Food, credits, whatever I could get, just to survive. I know it wasn't right, but I had to eat. The apartment was paid for, thank the stars, so I had a place to sleep. I was good, very good. I could take a cred stick from a Sith and smile at them the whole time. I also dabbled in computers a bit, when I could swipe one from an unattended table or bag." Missy frowned, recalling those times and found she couldn't meet Aric's eyes.

Aric kept his face neutral, but the heartbreak he felt at the young girl left to fend for herself made him want to strangle his father for leaving her in such a situation. He couldn't fault her for surviving, and in fact her admired that she didn't give up, or turn to prostitution as so many in her situation would have. Now, he saw her shame, and as much as he wanted to hug her, he figured it best to just let her talk.

"I tried to take food from a random guy who was sitting at a corner cafe, and I'd managed to take one of the pastries he'd left on his plate but I got greedy and tried for the second. He grabbed my arm as I did and that was the first encounter I had with Theron Shan. He dragged me to the safehouse he was staying at with a guy named Jonas. I figured I was dead, or worse, but they said they'd been watching how good I was with taking things and making my marks think I was a nice person." She gulped down the water now, unused to talking so much these days. "They wanted me to work with the SIS. At first, I thought they were just feeding me a line, but the next day they took me to the headquarters on Coruscant. At that time I was sixteen, but I lied and told them I was eighteen, and they started me training. I did well, and by the time I really was eighteen I was working underground on Coruscant, primarily doing recon and surveillance on the Black Sun. Then, the Etermal Empire arrived, and I found myself back in the safehouse with Theron. We grew close over the weeks we spent there, and I learned a good deal about him."

"So, you know Theron?" At her nod, Aric continued. "And when you say you grew close, do you mean..." Missy nodded again, and felt her whole face burn with shame.

"At first, we didn't know what was going on. There were bombings every day, and it was as much a risk to be in a building than out. Theron was smart and had connections, I wanted to live. One day, I came back to the safehouse and it was empty. It was then that I started to realize that I had to find another way, that the work I had done so well would have to serve me to get away from there." Missy stood to pace, unsure about how her story was being received. "I saw the bounty alert for Theron on the holonet, and I had no idea Theron had gotten himself into so much trouble."

"He's tried to kill Miriah more than once, he actually gravely injure her once, and even Maura was injured by his attack," Aric said, fighting to keep his voice calm and even. "He was once thought to be a valued member of the Alliance, but he was always getting Mir's temper up about things. They weren't exactly friends, but she respected his work. He even married Lana Beniko, we think to be able to have more info on operations. Thank the force Lana is a vault, and he didn't have any of the right codes to get her to spill about her job." He'd been watching Missy pace and now she whirled to him, her bright green eyes sparkling.

"I want to find him. He'll trust me, he would have no idea I'm related to you. Where do you think he is now?"

Aric regarded his half sister for a moment, unsure about which allegiance would be stronger, family or lover. Missy could almost see his thoughts as he worked it out in his head. "I promise, I have no lingering feelings, hell, I didn't have any feelings then other than that it seemed our world was ending and I didn't want to die without having experienced sex at least once." She grinned at Aric but he was still frowning. "Where do you think he is?"

"Zakuul," Aric answered, and took a deep breath. "I'll have to tell the Commander all of this, see what she thinks. I trust her to see it objectively and make the right decision." He stood, and Missy suddenly regretted admitting her past to him.

"Aric, I'm sorry, I don't want any of this to come between us," she said, and he heard the anxiety in her voice.

"I'm impressed that you managed to survive, Missy, not angry. It gives me one more reason to want Theron dead, but I'm not upset with you." He crossed to her and took her in his arms, feeling her tremble against him. "It's okay, hon. We've all done things we didn't want to, just to make it to the next day." He felt her calm, and pushed her away slightly to look into her eyes. "We're the only blood family either of us have left. I'll always take your side."

"I will as well. I wish things had been different, but I wouldn't trade today for anything." Missy quickly wiped her face. "Let me know what the Commander says, I'll be standing by." Aric nodded and pressed his forehead to hers before going to the door. He stopped and waved at her as he exited, and she felt ten kilos lighter when she lay on the sofa, staring at the flowers until she closed her eyes.

Miriah had just finished her morning briefing with the duty officer when she saw Aric come and close the office door, his face serious. "Hey, Aric. How's things?" she said, waiting for him to settle.

"I'm trying to figure out how to relate this," he replied, and settled on telling the story exactly how he heard it. When he was done, he sat back and watched Miriah's face. He saw concern, admiration, and finally, acceptance.

"I think she's right. He would have no reason to connect her with us, no reason to distrust her any more than he would any person from his past. I think the risk would be low, and the reward high." She stood up to stretch, and regarded Aric's response to her words.

"I propose we wait until Lana's been back a few days, so they won't be connected, but I agree. Missy's smart and resourceful. She'll be able to handle just being on Zakuul and seeing if she can locate him. Anything else, she knows she can call on us to back her up."

Miriah turned to him, suddenly frowning. "Do you trust her? I mean, I realize she's your half sister, but would you put the risk of losing Theron indefinitely against her loyalty to us?"

Aric didn't hesitate. "I would, Mir. I believe that she risked her life to find me, and that she means what she said about being totally with us on this."

Miriah sat back down, and out of the corner of her eye, saw Corso nod slightly. "Very well then, we'll get together with Lana when she returns and set a day." Aric stood and waited until Miriah looked up at him.

"Thanks, Mir. I knew you'd figure out the best way to handle it." He smiled at her gratefully, and saw her face soften.

"I just want her to come back unharmed," she said, and Aric nodded.

"Me, too."

Sarai had slept well and now looked up at her oldest daughter as Mags made her way into the room. Sarai had already dressed and was ready to see her temporary living quarters, and she didn't miss the familiar bag on Magdalane's shoulder. "I see you packed for me," she said, and saw Mags blush.

"Sorry, Mom, I just didn't want you to vulnerable." Mags hugged her mother, who she was glad to note didn't feel as frail as yesterday.

Sarai patted Mags back. "I know, honey. I appreciate your thoughtfulness. If you left anything I need, I'll get someone to replace it." She started for the door. "Any idea where I'm going?" Mags explained the area and where her mother would be quartered, and followed her.

"I'm heading back there now, I'll walk with you," Mags explained, and Sarai nodded. She hated hiding, but saw the logic in it, and was willing to go along just so that Miriah wouldn't be more stressed, worrying about her. She was grateful to be close to everyone as well, and figured she could help out, too. With that, she walked briskly toward the smuggler wing, making Mags laugh and jog to keep up.

Torian had gone to pack a bag, and before he left his apartment, went next door to see if Solasta needed anything. She opened the door to his soft knock, and motioned him inside. "Torian, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Gursan asked me to check in on you today, since he was gone," Torian explained, and Solasta relaxed.

"We're just fine," she said, glancing over at the cradle where her daughter slept. "He worries, that's all. But everything is good here."

"You'll let me know if you need anything? And remember, we're at a higher security level. Scan everything," he said, and Solasta nodded.

"We will. The Commander already offered us space in the secure area, but I hate to leave all the baby stuff we have here. We'll be extra cautious for now." She walked with him to the door. "You're with Caly?" When he nodded, she turned serious eyes to his. "Keep her safe, she promised to babysit."

Torian grinned then, and waved as he made his way down the hall. Caly would be safe, if it meant his own life.

Miriah felt the weight of the day acutely as she leaned on Corso, just inside the apartment. "Caly left us some stew," Corso said. Her pod having no room for cooking, she was cooking here, and her parents were grateful. "I'll go get us some."

"That would be wonderful," Miriah murmured. She'd worried most of the afternoon that she'd made the wrong decision on Missy's proposal, but Corso and Aric had reassured her that all would work out, even if she spent time on Zakuul and never saw Theron, the chance would be worth it. She plopped ungracefully onto the sofa and just lay there where she fell, not finding the energy to sit up until Corso brought the steaming bowls in and put them on the low table, fishing two bottles of beer from his pockets, making her laugh at his ingenuity.

"I scanned everything already," he assured her, handing her a beer. "I'll be glad when Lana gets back, just so that you don't have to answer everything."

"Me, too, sugar." She inhaled the fragrant stew. "I believe Caly is going to do really well with her cooking."

"Mmmhmm," Corso said, his mouth full. "I hope she and Torian will be able to get along in this forced togetherness."

"It should tell them more about how married life will be, at least. Honestly, I don't think they'll have any trouble with it." They enjoyed the hot meal and the beer, and Miriah was already half asleep when Corso picked her up and took her to their bed, only stopping to let her pull on sleeping clothes.

Torian blew on the spoon he held and took a bite. "So good, sweetheart," he said, savoring the next bite. She only smiled at him as they ate, talking quietly about their day. When he related checking on Solasta, Caly laughed as she imagined Solasta's face, and felt contentment wash over her.

"This is nice," she said. "Having a meal, just enjoying time together."

"Caly, I have to say this. Are you okay with what we've been doing? I mean, other than this?" Torian stammered his words and felt his blush as color flooded his cheeks.

"More than you know," Caly whispered. Her eyes said more than her words, and he took her hand, kissing her palm.

"I'll talk to your dad soon, about the formal engagement," he said, and Caly nodded. "Maybe when Theron Shan is in a cell, so hopefully soon." Caly closed her eyes, and wished for time to move faster.


	26. Chapter 26

Lana blinked in the bright sunlight of Odessen, the ramp gently landing on the snow. She had taken one step when Nico pulled her roughly against him, crushing her mouth with his. When he finally let her stand up again, she impishly tugged on the brim of his hat. Neither said a word, but their eyes made each other promises for later, and when Lana strolled down the ramp, her eyes sparkling and her hair swinging, several of the ground crew stopped what they were doing to watch her, only snapping back to work once they realized who they were drooling over, aware she could have their heads if she wanted. Warm air greeted her inside the hangar and she stopped to speak to Admiral Aygo, who was looking a little worse for wear. When he explained he was just not feeling well, she turned and called someone to use one of the power sleds to take him to the medcenter, just in case.

That done, she sauntered through the war room, her sensual presence in the force affecting both force sensitives and non sensitives alike. She was oblivious, concentrating on her report for Miriah, whom she knew was waiting for her. She glided into the office and slumped in the chair, shooting a grin at her boss. "You were so right," Lana said, and Miriah studied her face before grinning back.

"Great sex fixes a whole lot of things," Miriah agreed, and surreptitiously glanced a Corso. His face was flaming red, but the look in his eyes was one of longing, and she purposely didn't look at him directly, not wanting to encourage him so soon after yesterday's session. Which, she had to admit, had made her whole day better. "Now, what did you find out?"

Lana switched immediately to her work persona. "Not a whole lot. Senya says they're still tracking down the group, but they did retrieve an image," she pulled our her datapad and sent the file to Miriah. "She's got several agents out there, but nothing solid yet."

"We may have an angle," Miriah said, and went on to explain Missy's connection to Theron, and how she had volunteered to go to Zakuul. "I want you to verify her SIS involvement, if you can."

Lana looked thoughtful. "I can definitely find out about her service record. What exactly did she do? I mean, at her age and exotic looks, I can well imaging what she might have been assigned to, but.."

"Don't let Aric hear you say that," Miriah said, her face serious. "I gather there was some non-work contact between Missy and Theron, so it's already a sore subject."

"Understood," Lana replied, her eyes narrowing and her sensual spark replaced with ice. "I'll see what I can do. Meet first thing tomorrow?"

Miriah held her laugh. "Sounds good, say mid morning though," she replied, seeing the look of relief on Lana's face. When they were alone, Miriah turned to her husband, who was instantly on his feet and at her side, tenderly cupping her face with his hands and kissing her until they both needed air. "Whew," she whispered, as Corso planted kisses down her neck. She'd forgone the tunic today, and the rose colored top she wore left her neck bare. In only moments, they'd gone from merely enjoying each other to increasing need, and finally Corso stepped back.

"Not going to do this in the office," he growled, and with her nod, took her hand and they made their way to the detail, who hurried to keep up with the couple.

Missy ventured out of the apartment and into the shops, now located inside instead of out on the promenade sidewalks. Here she picked up some items she thought she might need if she got to go to Zakuul. She wondered how the weather was there, if it was as cold there as here. She picked up some personal items and when she was making her way to the mess hall for lunch, she let herself people watch, one of her favorite pastimes. She observed the Cathar she'd talked to, the one with the new baby, now in military uniform, and she correctly noted the rank, smiling to herself. Surely a General here would know Aric, she thought, but then again, she couldn't fault caution. She saw the Commander's daughter and daughter in law, taking advantage of the calm, sunny day to take the babies outside for a bit, walking along the courtyard, meeting the tall, dark haired Jedi. She'd remember all the names, one day, she promised herself. As she grew cold, she made her way inside, the warmth of the dining room making her eyes water a little. She gathered food and found Aric and Maura, who had just finished their meal and waved her over. It's good to be wanted, she thought happily, and sat down, basking in Maura's smile.

Corso shifted Miriah to his side, still gazing into her silver eyes as they caught their breath. They hadn't made it past the sofa in the family room, and now, Corso reached up to the soft throw and covered them, their bodies cooling down now. "So much better than food," Miriah murmured, and Corso only kissed her in reply. They were content, so much so that the sound of voices at the door startled them both. Corso looked at his wife with wide eyes, and jumped to his feet, scrambling for their hastily discarded clothes.

"What do we do?" he asked, and hopped, trying to pull his pants on. Miriah had already dressed, leaving off her under things, and pointed to the kitchen. She was heading to the front of the apartment to slow down whoever had arrived, and looked back to see Corso pointing at her hair. She stopped and smoothed her hair and strode forward again, a smile on her face. Caly and Mia were in the hallway, with the babies, and Miriah hugged her daughter.

"I want to hold the babies, but let me go wash my hands. Can't be too careful!" she called as she made her way to their bedroom. That was close, she admitted to herself, and wondered how Corso was faring. She couldn't feel sorry for it, though. They'd managed to please each other, and that was all that counted. With a grin, she shimmied into fresh clothes and brushed her hair, washing her hands and face before returning to the grandchildren.

Aric and Maura had gone back into the base to do a little surveillance, and saw the detail in the tunnel area. "Mir must have gone home for lunch," he said to Maura, and took her hand. They strolled along the military wing, and when they made the circle, they went back to the spare office they sometimes used to talk privately. "I don't see anything going on, did you?" 

"Not at all. Everyone seemed to be just working," Maura confirmed. "Where are the other detail troops?" Aric outlined his troops movements and saw Maura nod. "Seems solid. What else did we learn from Senya?"

"Don't know. Everybody disappeared," Aric said in a grumpy tone, but he wasn't really upset. He knew if anything important had been discovered, they'd have been notified. They worked together on the next week's plans, and when they heard the detail coming toward them, they gathered their datapads and stood, waiting to talk to Miriah. When they saw her, she was beaming, Merida in her arms, the baby's black hair showing above the pink blanket.

After putting Merida in the back of the stroller, and getting a hug and kiss from a sleepy Declan, they waved goodbye to the children and Miriah looked at Maura with a dreamy smile. "She's such a cutie, and Declan is growing so fast," Maura said, feeling the calm radiating from her sister. They were talking about the children and grandchildren when Aric saw a moment of panic cross Corso's face.

"I don't like that look, Cor. Need to sit?" Aric's usual booming voice was very quiet, and with a nod, Corso followed his friend into the office and to the small sofa. "What can I get you?"

"Nothing. I'll be okay in a minute," Corso replied, but Aric could see that his eyes were slightly unfocused and instead of waiting, he pulled out his holo and got Mags, who said she was on the way. Miriah saw the holo of her other sister and her eyes flew to Corso, who gave her a weak smile.

"Sugar, just breathe, okay. Relax and breathe," Miriah told him, and knelt beside him, seeing the sweat pour from his face. "Maura, I have some juice in the small cooler over there, would you get one?" Maura brought the juice over and Miriah opened it, helping Corso take a sip. Only a few moments later, his color improved and he seemed more able to communicate, but he still had an erratic pulse, Miriah noted. As Mags sped into the room, she took in the situation and nodded.

"Good, got some sugar into him, let's see what else is going on," she murmured, and before Miriah could look away, Magdalane's force aura exploded around them, bathing the immediate area in blinding light. No one moved while she worked, and only a few minutes later, she slowly let the light recede. "I can't see anything structurally that's wrong. Are you keeping to the one cup of caf a day?" she asked, looking deep into Corso's rich chocolate eyes.

"I promise, Mags. One cup. I even waited until mid morning and grabbed it from the mess hall," he told her, and something registered within Mags mind, but she couldn't place what it was.

"How are you feeling now? Your heart rate is steady and regular."

"Fine. A little weak, but otherwise okay." He took Miriah's hand in his and felt her relax. "It seemed like the juice helped, made me feel stronger."

"Did you have something to eat today?" Mags was doing a mental checklist as she asked, eliminating diagnoses.

"Just breakfast," he admitted, and glanced quickly at Miriah, who looked abashed.

"Can't do it, Cor. You have to take better care of yourself. You're so focused on taking care of Miriah, use that same focus on yourself," Mags scolded, but she was smiling. "Aric, can you bring in some food?"

"On it," Aric replied, fast walking down the corridor. As he went, Miriah took Mags by the arm and asked her about their midday activity. Mags bit back her laughter and told her sister that no, sex wouldn't have anything to do with causing the arrhythmia, that it would happen whenever the conditions were right for it, whether Corso was exercising, or sleeping.

"I still feel like it's primarily something environmental, but we'll continue to keep on his restricted caf and diet. Just make sure he's eating and not … something else," she giggled, and patted Corso's hand before she left.

Caly was in her pod with Torian, listening to music and studying for her final exams. She only had three weeks left in school, then a two week break before she was supposed to start her internship. Now, she worried that wouldn't happen, with the current situation of staying inside the inner base. She tried to let it go, remembering her dad's words of advice only hurting her, and not changing anything, but it was more difficult than she had imagined. She was daydreaming of herself in chef's whites when Torian spoke to her. "We need to talk through some things," he told her, and her eyes grew large.

"What's going on?" she asked, and moved to sit beside him.

"Everything is kinda crazy right now, but you know eventually we'll go back to our lives. You, learning and working in the cafe, me getting assignments and working whatever shift they have me on. Have you thought about the craziness that is military life? I could get posted on another planet, or have a remote assignment that you won't be allowed to move to. You might be pulled away from your family, your job. I know one of your dreams is to have your own restaurant." He took her hand. "I just want you to have all the information you need to make a lifetime decision."

"It would help if we could all know the future," she finally said, taking a couple of minutes to think about her response. "But then, where would all the excitement and wonder be? I know, we'll both be asked to compromise, Torian. That's what being in a relationship is all about. My mom gave up her life in the stars for my dad's dream of being a rancher, and they managed. He's given up his quiet life on Dantooine to be here with Mom. Through it all, they'd rather be with each other, no matter where they are. Dad nearly died when Mom was frozen in carbonite for all those years, just from missing her." She stood and took his face in her hands. "I want to be with you. If that means I compromise, so be it. If that means that you make concessions, I'd hope that would work out, too. If you have doubts, now is the time to make those known."

"I just wanted to make sure you'd considered all the different things that could happen, sweetheart. I have no doubts that you are my soul mate. I will ask your father for our formal engagement soon, and I wanted you to be sure." She answered only with a kiss, and they both settled, Torian feeling more sure than ever that his decision was the right one.

Mags examined Admiral Aygo again and pronounced him able to return to his quarters, but not duty until tomorrow. She considered his symptoms, which had been similar to Sarai's, and wondered if there was another virus that had made its way to Odessen. She requested a battery of tests on Aygo's blood, and let herself drift in the force for a few minutes, asking for guidance and knowledge. Before she left the medcenter, she made a request of the staff. From this point on, anyone who came in with the same symptoms she'd been seeing would be asked about their food intake from the last twenty-four hours. If it's not viral, then there's something at play here, she mused. She washed her hands carefully and smiled up at Felix, who had come to walk her home. We'll figure it out, she vowed to herself, and took the offered arm, leaning her head on her beloved's shoulder. We will figure it out.


	27. Chapter 27

"We can send her on a supply ship, and she can just filter out of the unloading area," Lana said, "that would give her the anonymity she needs."

"I'm sure Missy can figure that part out. What I'm worried about is how she can contact us without being suspect." Miriah had her feet under her in her chair, trying to stay focused. She'd had to get up from bed last night to pace and think, and her few hours of sleep were wearing on her now. "I want her to have a clear escape route, too, in case things don't go well."

"I'll work with Senya and see how we can best accomplish that. I have encrypted relays being made for necessary communication. Ideally, we would only hear from Missy for scheduled check ins and when she makes contact."

"If," Miriah countered. "If she makes contact. I'm not convinced Theron's on Zakuul. Seems like a risky move on his part to possibly have some of the work crews on Odessen spot him, especially with the bounty. Despite the protests, which, I'm wondering who's behind that, Senya is making headway there." Lana hummed her response, and they fell silent, both working out the details in her head. After a few minutes, Corso returned with his one mug of caf, handing Miriah and Lana their drinks.

"It's starting to snow again," he told them, and Miriah frowned at him. "It was on Aric's jacket." Miriah relaxed and sipped her cocoa, letting the warmth and sugar lend their boost of energy. She wanted to visit with Sarai at some point today, and check in on everyone in the smuggler area. Only Devin and Logan had decided to remain in their houses, content with the additional security there. Maura had said they were fine, that everything was clean and comfortable, but Miriah still felt guilty that someone was so intent on hurting her that her entire family had to take shelter. She looked at the list of things she had to accomplish today, and realized she just didn't want to do them. She wanted to see her family. Corso saw her fidgeting, and caught her eye.

"Maybe we need to wait until Mags gives Missy medical clearance before we set a schedule," he offered, and Miriah nodded.

"Good thinking. I'm sure Aric wants to make sure that everything has been planned out before we go forward."

"I'll start working on the next phase of reconstruction for Zakuul," Lana announced, and stood. "There's nothing here that absolutely has to be done today. Tomorrow is different," Lana grinned. "Tomorrow we have six planets to check in." Miriah rolled her eyes.

"I'll be ready," she replied, and stood, stamping her feet to get her circulation flowing through her numb limbs. Corso took her arm when she was ready and they headed for the small cantina in the smuggler section, hoping to find family there.

Sarai and Nico sat at the small cantina, Sarai sipping some hot tea and enjoying the casual conversation with the smuggler. "If I'd known this was such a great area, I'd have accepted Miriah's offer to move me in here sooner," she told him.

"It's quite nice. We have the cantina, and there's always stuff to watch with all the ships bringing stuff in. I like it," Nico agreed. "I heard that you weren't feeling well, Master Jedi."

"I surely wasn't, but Mags fixed me up," Sarai responded. "I don't often feel unwell, so it was almost as much of a shock to me as the actually illness was." She continued to sip her tea, and gave her friend a smile.

"It's very good to see you feeling better, then. I have to say, it's been busier in the medcenter than ever since this snow started. Not sure if it's the confinement or the temperatures."

"I'm not sure either, but it's time for a break, whatever it is." They saw the black clad troopers heading toward them, and Sarai's smile grew. She'd known Miriah would have to see for herself that she was okay, and waited for the phalanx of armored guards to open and reveal her youngest daughter, ready to greet her with open arms.

Aric sipped his caf and rubbed his sternum. Damn, he thought. I've got to cut back on this stuff. For the past two days, every time he had his mid afternoon caf, it had burned like acid back up his throat. He growled and dumped the remaining liquid in the sink of the apartment. Maybe it's just me, he reasoned. Maybe I just don't need it later in the day. He looked out of the front window and saw the detail, and made his way down to them. It had started snowing harder during the morning, and he was glad he didn't have to worry about Mir out at the mess hall in it. As he made his way down the stairs, he stopped to swallow hard again. He saw Torian coming from the other direction, loaded down with food, and wondered how the situation between Caly and him was going.

Miriah hugged her mother, feeling Sarai's force flow over them. "Mom, how are you? Mags said you'd been sick."

"Reports of my illness were greatly exaggerated," Sarai replied with bark of laughter at her daughter's face. "Seriously, Mir. I'm fine, just enjoying the company of a friend." Nico tipped his hat to Miriah, making her relax.

"I was worried, and then Corso had another episode, and I got sidetracked," Miriah told them, and glanced over at her husband, laughing and talking with Aric.

"You need to take care of him and yourself, I'm just fine," Sarai said, lightly pinching Miriah's cheek. They chatted about the living areas, and Sarai expressed her interest in just staying in her new place, saying she loved the size and layout. Miriah watched Aric press his hand to his chest, much as she'd seen Corso doing lately, and it made her wonder what was happening to them all. Aric seemed okay after a few seconds and walked away with a wave to her, and Corso rejoined her, getting a hug from Sarai.

Aric walked to the offices, and joined Maura in the one they used. "I've been getting reports of several people sick, but there's no common symptoms. I just talked to Mags, she's been concerned for a couple of days now." Maura saw the sour look on her mate's face and put her hand on his cheek. "You're not feeling well, either."

"Just indigestion," he told her. "I'm going to have to cut back on the caf in the afternoon, it always seems to make me miserable." He looked around them to see if anyone could see them, then bent to kiss his wife. "I'm fine."

"Let's go see Mags," Maura said, and saw Aric start to protest. "I want to discuss the cases she's seen over the past few days."

"Good idea," he said, and followed her down the stairwell to the medcenter.

Magdalane saw them coming and straightened from her current patient, who had presented at the center with chest pain and numbness in his left arm. She had stabilized him now, and nodded at the tech who was continuously monitoring the older man. Mags stopped to wash her hands before meeting her sister and leading them into the small area the staff used for breaks. "I can see you both have questions," she said, and motioned for them to sit.

"Maura said you'd been seeing quite a few cases that appeared similar." Aric sat and leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees.

"When Mom wasn't feeling well, the first thing she said when she came is was that she had been fine until we met for lunch at the mess hall. It didn't mean anything at first, but after a few more patients came in, and the symptoms were all the same, I made a few notes to make sure. Today, another four patients, all with similar ailments. Thing is, they fit into two categories. One is a gastrointestinal issue, the other seems to be more varied, with chest pain, rapid heart rate and nausea."

"So, not a virus or other natural complaint?" Maura asked.

"It's always possible, but the one constant that links them all is the fact that they ate at the mess hall within hours of their onset of symptoms." Mags looked at Aric then. "I want to examine the records at the mess hall. And I don't want Miriah to be upset by it. It might be something as simple as a temperature not being maintained at the proper level, or even just a malfunctioning cooler. It may be nothing at all, but I feel like that's the next step."

"Mir will have to know about it, but I'll do my best to keep her from being upset. In the meantime, we cook our own food, see if we can see anything different in our little group." Aric stood, and Maura stood with him. "Let us know what you need, Mags."

"I'll need someone to contact the food manager and let them know I want to see records and do a quick examination of the facility," Mags replied, and Aric nodded.

"I'll set it up for tomorrow after the breakfast rush," he said, and immediately felt guilty that more people might be exposed to an unknown sickness. Given that it was the only way that most of the people on the base ate, he knew they couldn't just close it down. "Is anyone who sought treatment in severe trouble? Any deaths?" he asked, and Mags looked thoughtful.

"No, nothing life threatening. The patients seems to primarily be older and male, or have some underlying condition that would make them more susceptible."

Aric shook his head. "I hate to risk anyone else getting sick but I also don't want our people being hungry. I guess we have no choice but to let them continue to serve food."

"We'll have more answers tomorrow," Mags assured him. She watched them leave, and wondered if she would find anything at all in her inspection to relieve her concerns.

Corso was cuddled on the sofa with his wife, both napping, when Aric and Maura entered the apartment. Aric was about to speak when he saw Corso's eyes open and his friend put his finger over his lips, wanting Aric to be quiet.

"We need to cook our own food for a little while," Aric whispered, and Corso nodded.

"I'll get up," he said, and Miriah stirred beside him. When she blinked her eyes open, he kissed her nose.

"What's up, guys?" she asked, letting Corso pull her up to sit. Aric explained what was going on, and Miriah took a moment to digest his information.

"I feel terrible letting the base eat from there now," she said.

"I know, but when I ran the calculations, the risk is fairly low. Mags is going there tomorrow to do an inspection, I've already notified the manager over there. We will get to the bottom of this, and it might have nothing to do with the mess hall at all."

"I want the water station to be inspected as well. Ask Lana to send someone from the science wing over there. With what Arcann told us, we have to be vigilant on controlling the things we depend on every day." Miriah stood. "I have some things frozen here, I can put together some stuffed pasta pretty easily. Let everyone know they're welcome to come here for dinner."

Corso stood with her. "We can all help," he said, and Aric and Maura nodded. "But the sauce is all you, darlin'. I never could replicate it, and I tried when you were gone." Miriah laughed then but it never reached her eyes, her worry over the people of Odessen making her mind too preoccupied to enjoy cooking with her family.

Torian and Caly had eaten, and now were taking a walk around the secure area. "I never thought I'd enjoy being so limited," she said. "But so far, it hasn't been too terrible." Torian nodded and stopped at the overlook to the military area. "Torian?"

"Look out there, you can see the new snowfall," he said, putting his arm around her. "I don't mind being with you, but I do mind not being outside."

"I know, it's different than your usual duty," she told him. They were silent for several minutes, enjoying the crisp chill of the air blowing in from the open hangar door. "Do you miss being with Shae Vizla, going all over the place and fighting?"

"I don't miss seeing clan members die for no good reason. Here, at least, when we lose someone, it has been to free the galaxies." Caly shivered, and he pulled her into the warmth of his body. "And I surely am glad Mandalore sent me here, or I would have never found you."

"Sometimes, I feel like knowing me is more curse than favor," she said with a half smile.

"Never," he replied, and kissed her head. They stood in each others embrace for a bit, until Torian pointed to the floor level. "Hey, it seems Raina has found a friend, after all." Caly looked over the rail to see Raina with a dark haired man wearing the old uniform of the Empire. He looked stiff and stuffy compared to Raina, and they were amused when she kissed his cheek and the man blushed red.

"I guess you never know who will be attracted to whom," Caly said, her voice wistful. Torian studied her face for clues but finally had to ask.

"Do you regret that I chose you when you were so young?" he asked softly, and she turned to look into his eyes.

"I do not. I was awkward, didn't really talk to boys. They were intimidated by my parents, and made fun of the fact that I was taller than they were. I had a crush on you, and you didn't even know me. When we finally met, on the battlefield, I felt something then that I couldn't describe. That feeling has only grown since." She brushed her lips against his, and he pulled away.

"Not here," he whispered, and they hurried back to the pod, knowing anything done outside there would be immediately reported to Miriah. Hopefully, Torian thought, we won't have to worry about that much longer, and thought of the ring he had stashed at the bank, waiting for it's rightful spot on Calypso's finger.


	28. Chapter 28

Magdalane took her datapad and walked with authority into the food prep area of the mess hall. Aric was with her, and there was guard detail posted outside. "Let's start with inspecting the freezer and cooler units," she said, and the manager led the way, trying not to look nervous. When they'd looked at all the equipment and sanitation practices, and reviewed the logs of QA that had been taken at timed intervals during the twenty-four hour operation, Magdalane admitted she was impressed. Aric watched everything, and when they were done, pulled Mags and the manager into the small office. "Tell me, Quinton, has there been anyone new in the past couple of months?"

The manager thought for a moment. "We have had two people who joined the mid shift crew. Let me pull the personnel files and send them to you." He had his datapad in his hand before he finished speaking. "They were cleared through customs and ident, and applied here. I saw nothing that raised any flags for me, and so far, they've been working out well."

"Thank you for your cooperation, Quinton. This is a very clean and well run operation here," Magdalane told the manager, and was rewarded with a bright smile.

"Yes, I'll see if we can put together other clues," Aric said, his voice showing his distraction by the list he saw in his head. As they walked to the secure area, he turned to Mags. "If there is something fishy there, the manager has no knowledge of it."

"Agreed," Mags responded thoughtfully. "Still, I can't help but feel that there's something there. I'm running a search on known toxins that would cause the symptoms we've seen, that will help narrow down the vector." They parted as they left the elevator and Aric made his way down the hall to report to Miriah. Before he reached her office, he did an about face and headed to a terminal, putting in the two mess hall employees that were in his datapad, and messaged Corso. _Need your help getting into a few databases, you up for it?_

 _Of course,_ Corso replied. _Be right there._ In only minutes, Aric heard his friend's boots ringing on the stone floor, heading in his direction. "But why out here?" he asked, immediately inputting codes into the terminal, not even looking at Aric.

"Didn't want to return to that office with nothing," Aric admitted, and sighed. There had to be something on these guys, or we're back to square one.

Corso chuckled softly. "She doesn't bite," he said, still staring at the rapidly running code on the screen.

Aric grunted. "She doesn't have to. All the Chantalle women can give you that look, you know the one. Like you're too stupid to have even found your way into their presence." At that, Corso laughed out loud.

"Okay, searches are running through the Republic and Empire's databases, also I have access to Zakuul's, so searching there, too." Corso clapped Aric on the shoulder. "I need my caf." Aric started to walk to the elevator, but Corso stopped him. "Brought the good stuff," he said, and pointed to the office. Aric followed, the promise of decent caf outweighing his need to please Spitfire.

Mia had both little ones settled and took a mug of tea to the sofa. She'd enjoyed taking them out yesterday, but admitted to herself that she needed another set of hands. It had been good to see Caly, she thought, but boy has she changed. She looked mature, like her face had sharpened and slimmed overnight, and her figure had filled out. Mia shook her head, she knew the temptations Caly and Torian faced. They had talked briefly about what had been going on, but when Caly had put her hand on Mia's arm, and looked into her eyes while telling her that she was still committed to taking things at her own pace, Mia had believed her. Now, thinking back, she saw the fact of Caly being her own woman, not a little girl like she had been even six months ago. Mia sighed, and wondered if she would be able to be as calm when Merida was that age. Miriah's clone, she smiled. The baby really did look just like her grandmother, and Miriah loved it. Even with their resemblance, Miriah was careful to divide her time between them, hugging Declan and letting him snuggle with her, drool and all. Today, the sun wasn't as bright, and Devin had said they might get a little more snow, but nothing heavy. Good, she thought, and felt her husband checking on her in the force. We're all good, she told him, and felt the sensual thread he sent her, responding in kind. She'd surprise him tonight, she decided, and rose to begin her beauty treatments, humming as she ran a hot bath.

Caly had finished her class and now was working on her last assignment. She ran her hands through her hair and stretched, arching her torso, her eyes closed. Torian sat on the bed and had to close his eyes as well, the sight of Caly too much for him to process knowing he couldn't throw her on the bed and do as he wished. He felt sweat bead on his face and willed his body to calm, using some of the battle tactics he'd been teaching new recruits to stay focused and steady in battle. When he stole a glance at her, she had returned to typing on her terminal, absorbed in her writing, and he sighed with relief. Celibacy is hard, he mused. I wonder how the old Jedi used to handle it. He was still thinking of that when he slid into sleep, and Caly worked on, determined to pass and get on with her life.

Mags opened the door to Sarai and smiled. "Mom, how are you?" she asked, taking her mother in her arms.

"I'm very well, I wanted to know if you'd made any progress with your investigation." Mags sat at the small table and Sarai sat opposite her.

"Not really. I didn't find any obvious violations at the mess hall. Everything there seemed well organized and run. Back to scratch, I suppose." Mags rested her chin in her hand, she'd been thinking on the events of the past couple of weeks, but kept coming back to the common denominator.

"Maybe it's something very subtle, something not obvious to the rest of the crew. It would only take one operative on the inside," Sarai remarked.

"Aric said something similar," Mags agreed. "He's running the crew backgrounds now." Mags sighed. "I don't know, Mom. It's driving me crazy." Felix had been working in the kitchen, and nodded to himself at his wife's words. She'd been up early and had been searching nonstop since. He had been her sounding board, but even with all the information, he could come up with no other ideas on it. He sincerely hoped Aric found something, he knew Mags would make herself sick trying to solve the puzzle. He placed thick sandwiches in front of both women before retrieving his own and sitting with them. They moved on to talk of the family and children, and he was enjoying their light conversation, knowing that as soon as Sarai left, Mags would be back to her searching.

Aric and Corso had been watching the screens, waiting for anything to pop up that would give then a lead. Corso had exhausted the Empire's search engines, and the second screen was winding through the history of Zakuul, moving slowly due to the different technology. Corso had been going back to Miriah's office to check on her as she and Lana did the holo calls with the planets of the Alliance, but she was absorbed in making notes and discussing the different issues each planet had, Lana offering solutions and all of them ending with smiles. She's really good at this, he thought, and felt his pride in her grow. He was thinking of asking her if she was ready to make the planet tour when he heard one of the searches chime, and jumped up to read the screen.

Aric heard the alert as well, and raced from his perch on the desk to see what had been found. They read silently and then, as one, exhaled a sigh of exasperation. "I thought we'd found something," Aric said.

"Me, too," Corso agreed. "Just because this guy was born into one of the wealthiest families on Zakuul doesn't mean he would be here to hurt anyone. The other guy?"

"Just being a part of the Imperial food service doesn't make him a bad guy either. Maybe we're looking in the wrong place. Maybe it's someone who's been here awhile. And maybe we need to look at the water facility." Aric was already heading to the science section when Corso caught up with him, both determined to find something to stop the illnesses.

Torian woke to Caly's soft kiss, and wrapped her in his arms, her thick, long hair falling over his arm. "I'm finished," she said, "and I'm famished. Let's go see what Mom has in the cooler."

"Are you sure? I hate to bother them," Torian said, still not letting go.

"It's still the middle of the afternoon," she whispered. "They're working. Besides, I may just cook there for us all. I love that kitchen." She pushed up and he let her go, his body already missing her against him. He stood slowly, and watched her gather her tools, smiling.

"You're so beautiful," he said softly. "I love you, Caly." She looked up from her bag and moved to him.

"I love you, too, Torian," she replied, loving his arms around her and his chest beneath her cheek. "Thank you."

"For what?" he murmured, letting her warmth and scent scramble his senses.

"For letting me be who I am, and being patient," she said.

"Always," he replied. Even if it kills me.

Miriah and Lana finally finished the holo calls and Miriah stood, stamping her cold feet. "Anything else we need to do today?" she asked, and Lana shook her head.

"No, we got everything done today," Lana replied. "Pretty impressive."

"Great! Come have dinner with us, Caly's cooked." Miriah had received the message during their last call.

"I believe I will, thank you." Lana gathered her things and took them to her office, returning quickly. "Where have Corso and Aric been today? I haven't seen them since their caf run."

Miriah shrugged. "Something about helping Mags investigate the mess hall staff," she said, and when she reached the threshold, the detail snapped to attention. "I guess they'll be along shortly."

When they entered the apartment, they were met with delicious smells. Lana closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "I'd give up part of my force ability to cook like that," she said, and Miriah laughed.

"I don't get it. Mags can't cook either, but Devin is quite good, so it can't be related to force use."

"I never had anyone to teach me. Maybe I could get some lessons from Caly," Lana said thoughtfully.

"She'd love that," Miriah responded, and they made their way to the kitchen, Miriah's mind on the whole mystery of the illnesses and her body craving Corso's nearness.

Mags had gone to the medcenter, ostensibly to see if she was needed, but also to see if there had been any other similar patients. She looked over the records for the day and saw nothing that fit the other profiles. She sat back in the chair wearing a puzzled frown. It made sense that if the culprit knew they were looking, he might back off for a time before trying again. If Aric didn't find anything, they'd just have to wait and see, she thought. I hate waiting. She stood and made her way back to where Felix waited, pushing the questions out of her thoughts. At least for a time.

Maura saw Aric and Corso and approached them. They were so focused on the search parameters that they both jumped when she cleared her throat. "Miriah is looking for us for dinner," she said, and Corso glanced at the chrono.

"Damn, I had no idea it was so late," he said, shutting down the screens and saving their work. "We can finish tomorrow." He hurried across the war room toward the apartment, Aric and Maura chuckling behind him.

"I think, really, Miriah was just missing him," Maura said softly, and Aric nodded agreement. "I was missing you, too."

"Really?" he asked, pulling her close. "How much?" She put her lips close to his ear and whispered. "Do we have to go to dinner?"

"Plenty of time for dinner," she assured him, and took his hand, leading him to the apartment. They had just gotten out of earshot when the soft chime sounded.

Missy had wandered down to the mess hall for dinner. She'd gotten Aric's message about cooking for herself rather than coming here, but she'd never been much for cooking. Still, she appreciated him warning her. She chose her foods and sat down in a corner of the room, enjoying watching the activity. The weather had improved, and with it, the number of people circulating through the facility. The food was quite good, she noted, and her appetite had increased as she'd healed. She saw people who were familiar, she thought, but wasn't sure really. When she finished, she zipped up the warm jacket she'd found in the box Aric had brought her, and ventured out. The air was crisp and clean, and when she inhaled she could smell the evergreen trees. This really is one of the nicest places I've ever been, she thought, and made her way home.

Miriah had helped Caly with the dishes and when they were alone, she pulled Corso into her arms. "I missed you today," she told him. "I always feel adrift when you're not with me."

"I was helping Aric with his rundown of the mess hall staff," he told her, and swayed with her to the music that they'd had playing during dinner. She didn't answer, but snuggled into him as they danced. He hadn't had any symptoms lately, and he was hoping he never would again. He felt her relax, and slowly moved with her into their bedroom, lying her on the bed with soft kisses. Tomorrow they'd know something from the searches, he though, just before Miriah shimmied out of her tunic and his mind forgot everything else.


	29. Chapter 29

Bey'wan Aygo sat on the edge of his bed, exhausted. He'd not fully recovered from his illness, though he'd felt better this morning. This afternoon, he had once again felt the rush of dizziness and instead of going to the medcenter, had gone to his home to lie down. He'd been up only to heat some soup he'd put in the cooler yesterday, and now, his energy gone, he lay back, closing his eyes. Over the evening he had lost the dizziness and disorientation, and hoped by morning he would be back to normal. He sighed, wondering why this was happening again. He'd reached no answers when sleep overtook him.

Miriah stretched and yawned. She felt rested for a change, and turned to look at Corso, who was sprawled over the bed, and admired his naked form. When she moved away from his side, his eyes opened, as if he had some sort of sensor that jolted him if she wasn't touching him. The thought of that made her smile. "Morning, sugar," she purred at him, seeing his smile form. He pulled her to him, kissing her gently.

"I love waking up to you," he whispered.

"We need to get up, though. I want to get Missy on Zakuul," she said, but tangled her fingers in his hair, which had started to grow out. He languished under her caress for a few more moments before rolling with her in his arms and carrying her to the shower.

"Get started in there," he told her, turning on the water. "I'll be right back." Corso hurried to grab his datapad, but saw no message there, and, humming a little tune, joined his wife in the shower.

Aric had been up for a couple of hours at that point, and had spent one of them out on the balcony in the frigid air, his morning meditation. He'd thought back over all the illnesses and how they had all been in the mess hall hours before becoming ill. They were still waiting on the results of the water testing. It could be there, he thought, since everything was prepared either using water or rinsed in it. He realized he'd felt better since he eliminated the afternoon caf, and he'd been watching Corso for any symptoms. So far, so good, he told himself. He had hopes of sending Missy to Zakuul in the coming days, and hopefully catching the rat that had tried to disrupt the Alliance. He inhaled slowly, and exhaled slowly, before coming back inside where his wife was still warm in bed. He made his own caf, only briefly wondering about the water he filled the decanter with before the air was filled with the glorious scent, and he closed his eyes, at peace with himself.

Mags had woken early and now was deep in meditation, just feeling, not thinking. There's still something out there, she realized. Something or someone who wants to wreak havoc on our community. She was drifting when it came to her. If Theron couldn't kill Miriah, then he'd hurt her by targeting her family. Specifically, Corso. He was the first to show any symptoms. I've got to get him back into the medcenter for tests, she realized, and it jarred her out of her trance. When she opened her eyes, Felix had prepared her tea and was waiting for her, love shining from his eyes. She explained her theory, and saw him consider it. "It's a sound premise," he agreed, bringing her hand to his lips. "Let's get dressed and go see Mir." Magdalane nodded, at once relieved to have something, anything to go on, and horrified that the plan had come so close to home.

Torian had left Caly logging into her classroom, and gone out to the cantina, getting some caf there. He sat at the table, his mind sluggish and slow. He'd lain awake for hours, wondering if he was doing the right thing by pursuing the love of his life. He didn't ever want her to feel pressured or deprived. Maybe, he'd thought at one point, I should disappear, let her live her life for a bit before we wed. He immediately felt the pain of separation, and dismissed that option. He sighed now, and sipped the hot beverage, letting it soothe the ragged thoughts and fears. I love her, and that's enough. He remembered that she'd told him her parent's story, that once Corso had met Miriah, she was all he ever wanted. Maybe it's like that for her, too, he told himself, and sat back to watch the activity around him. A ship was being unloaded, and he watched the crew, one he knew. Except that guy, he thought. Who is that? He watched the man take a box small enough to carry in one hand from the quartermaster who was checking in the load and start back through the cargo area, and finally placed the face as someone from the mess hall. He jumped to his feet and gave chase, overtaking the astonished man in a matter of seconds. "What's in the box?" Torian demanded.

"Cooking spices," the man said, his voice shaking. "Here, look." Torian ripped the box open, and saw the carefully labeled containers, neatly stacked. He saw the origin point was Zakuul, but they had come through several ports since then. He turned to the man, seeing the fear in his eyes, and apologized.

"I'm sorry, but I had to be sure," Torian said, seeing the color return to the other man's face. "How did you get into the secure area?" The man held up a badge in a plastic holder.

"I come every week to pick up whatever was ordered. Makes it easier to keep track of them, they're valuable in their own way," the man explained. Harin, his badge said, and Torian committed it to memory.

"Sorry for the inconvenience," Torian said, and the man nodded, gathering the items. Torian watched him leave, wondering about the badge and who had approved it. He decided to let Lana know about it, and pulled his datapad out of his pocket.

Lana got the message as she was making her way to the office, and stopped in her tracks. "Kitchen badge," she murmured, searching her thoughts. She had pulled the badge list up on her datapad when she saw the detail coming toward her and decided to wait until she was in her office. She followed the troopers down the executive hallway, and then Miriah into her office. "Morning, boss."

"Hey, Lana," Miriah replied. "What's on the daily briefing today?" Lana sat down and pulled up her daily list, the badge temporarily forgotten. They ran through the list together, which included updates on both Arcann's settlement, which was being called the base annex, and Haven. They finished with the calendar items for the day, and discussed the undercover Zakuul mission. Lana had been researching the different ways to get Missy there, and they finally settled on just having her take a commercial shuttle from another planet. Lana stood and started for her office to let Miriah read over the long range plan for other settlements on Odessen, and stopped for a moment. She knew she had to remember something, but it eluded her, and she shrugged and carried on with her day.

The man Torian had stopped, Harin, put the box of spices on the shelf and went to tell the manager what had happened. "They're only concerned with the welfare of the base," Quinton said.

"Well, not sure I want to go back. I'm still shaking," Harin replied. Quinton smiled at him.

"I know, but it will pass." They got back to work then, Quinton making a note on the incident log and Harin going to give one of the servers a break. Neither saw the small woman take a tiny vial out of the box as she passed and hiding it in her top before going to the filtered water supply, the one they used to make the large decanters of caf. She smiled to herself, and left the vial where it was when she pulled the cart with the decanters to refill them.

Aric read the alert that he'd pulled from yesterday's searches. "Hmm, not much to go on, but it's all we have," he told Corso, who read over his shoulder.

"Let's go see what the scientists found," Corso suggested, and Aric followed, his mind turning over the fact that at least three of the kitchen staff were previous members of Zakuul's high society, now working for a living instead of being waited on by droids, their every need supplied by the rest of the galaxies as Arcann and then Vaylin had demanded the resources of every planet be paid to Zakuul to prevent their destruction. Still, they'd passed their customs checks, and he knew there was no way to know what was in a person's heart or mind. He entered the science wing and looked around, his eyes seeing but his mind still on the search results. He saw Corso talking to the guy who was working on the water samples, and absently looked around. Why is Sol's bacta cuff here, he wondered, and made a mental note to ask about that later. He saw Corso shake his head, and sighed, knowing they'd hit another dead end. He was about to ask when his datapad chimed, and he pulled it out. _Aygo sick again, can you check and see if the military wing needs anything?_ It was Lana who sent it, and he wondered again what was going on. "Hey, I need to go to the military wing, see you in a bit?" he asked Corso, who nodded and headed to Miriah's office.

Magdalane had been called to the medcenter and saw the admiral lying on the exam bed. Same symptoms, same pattern, she thought. He looked better than he had when he'd come in, the tech told her, and she could see that he'd regained a little of his strength with the fluid infusion. She sat to think while she contemplated the detailed report of his movements in the past day, and noted that he'd eaten at the mess twice yesterday, but not dinner, as he was feeling sick by then. It just doesn't make sense, Mags thought, and suddenly she was furious. If this was indeed deliberate, she wanted the culprit found. She stood and grabbed a scanner, throwing her coat on and striding to the elevator.

Aric was heading back from the military wing when he saw Mags, and noted that she had angry, pink spots on her face. He caught the elevator as it closed, and faced his sister in law. "Where are you going, Mags?"

"I'm going to the mess hall and scanning every bit of food I can find," she said, and her heard the anger in her tone. Instead of arguing with her, he followed along, keeping his thoughts to himself. Once inside, Mags stomped to the kitchen door, where she was stopped and asked to cover her hair. She complied, and proceeded to scan every pot and pan, every dish on the hot table and the waiting area. She was a blur, she was moving so fast, so determined to find something, anything. When she had found nothing, and was satisfied she'd looked everywhere, she sank down into a chair at one of the tables, and Aric sat across from her.

"Aygo is going to be okay?" he asked, and she nodded, swallowing her disappointment.

"I am sure it has to be from here," she told him, and he patted her hand.

"It may be, but not today. I think whoever is doing this knows we're getting close, and they're being more careful," he said, and saw the acceptance in Mag's eyes. "We'll get them, they'll make a mistake eventually." He stood, and went to the caf station, bringing back two mugs. He sipped, and it wasn't too bad today. He watched her take a sip and nod, then sat back to look around. "I wonder if there's something in one of the dishes, a food item, that's different." He stood and rushed back into the manager's office, asking for the menus. When he had the file, he returned to where Mags sat. "Let's see if anyone who was sick had the same thing for lunch or dinner."

"Excellent idea, Aric. Thank you for not thinking I'm crazy," Mags told him.

"Never, Mags. I'm going to gather some food for the office gang, you need to get back into the secure area," he told her. He put a wide assortment together, not sure who all was there, and smiled at the woman who rushed up with a jug of hot caf. It was good today, he thought, and accepted it with thanks, putting it all in a box and heading out to the elevator.

Miriah looked at Corso as he worked on the terminal, and as if she had spoken his name, he turned to her, smiling. "Hungry?" he asked, and she nodded.

"I think we have some leftovers at home," she said, and he took her in his arms. They were staring into each others eyes when they heard Aric's whistling. He rounded the door with a huge box and a grin.

"Sustenance," he said. "Everything cleared by Mags." They pulled the warm food out and when Maura joined them, along with Lana. They ate and relaxed, the hour a little later than their usual and they were all apparently hungry, since the food disappeared. Aric glanced at Corso as he refilled his cup with the caf.

"I know," Corso sighed. "I won't have any more." They cleaned up their debris and returned to work, replenished. Miriah had a few more things to read, and a couple of holo calls, and when she was done, she brushed her fingertips across Corso's neck. He'd been so absorbed in his work he jumped a little when she touched him, but caught her hand, kissing her fingertips. He stood and caught the chair, dizziness washing over him. Miriah's gaze narrowed in concern. "I've been sitting for hours and just stood up too fast," he told her, pulling her close, his mouth on hers. Miriah had her hands under his shirt, and as usual, just her touch had his blood racing.

"Let's go home, shall we," she murmured against his lips, and he nodded before taking another knee-weakening kiss. Miriah turned but stopped when she heard Corso gasp. He reached for her, his vision spotted and graying at the edges, and she tried to support him, get him to the chair. He was trying to turn when he fell, Miriah underneath him, and everything went dark.


	30. Chapter 30

Miriah tried to cry out, to get someone's attention, but the weight of her spouse had crushed her to the floor, taking her breath. She screamed with her mind for Mags, who heard her clearly and was already running to the offices. Miriah shifted slightly and air rushed into her lungs, and she yelled, "Help!" Aric nearly tore the door down getting inside the office and at once, assessed the situation and saw Miriah's fingers on Corso's neck, just under his ear. "His heart is beating, but it seems too fast and weak," she whispered, still only getting minimal air. "Slowly, let's roll him toward you, Aric.

Aric panicked. His best friend lay face down on his petite wife, and he knew at once that they needed his help but he felt a momentary paralysis. When he saw Miriah's eyes, he leaped to her side and heard her breathy words, his own heart beating a pounding drum in his ears. "Okay, Mir, I can do this," he told her, his voice much calmer than he felt. He gently rolled the big Mantellian off Miriah, and heard her gasping breath as he lay Corso flat, facing up. "He's breathing okay, how 'bout you, Mir?" Aric heard himself ask, and took a good look at his sister in law.

"I'm okay," she replied, but her breathy voice didn't sound okay to him. They both turned to the door when they heard Magdalane calling, and before they could tell the guard to let her in, she had thrown two of the detail into the tunnel area using the force, and ran to Corso's side. "I've already called for transport," she said, doing her own quick once-over. "What happened?"

"We were ready to leave, and he got dizzy when he stood," Miriah said softly, and Mags looked at her sister sharply. "He thought he'd just stood up too fast. He took one step and went down." Miriah took Aric's offered hand and tried to stand, but the pull on her body made her cry out before she let go and sat on the floor. Aric knelt and picked her up instead, putting her feet gently on the floor. "Thanks,"she told him, as the transport team made their way into the room. He looks so gray, she thought, and tried to take a deep breath without crying out, not wanting any focus taken from attending to Corso. She took a few steps aside, letting Mags guide the techs, and Aric looked at the table. As they walked out of the room, Aric turned and grabbed the caf container, not even really knowing why but thinking that it might be a clue.

Devin felt the force ripples and had run from the temple, leaving his class to one of the other teachers. He wasn't sure exactly what had happened, but he felt his father's force signature as a dark cloud, with no form or clear substance, and it made him very afraid. He pushed his thoughts aside and quickly made his way through the security checkpoint. He didn't want to raise an alarm, so he just walked as quickly as he could, heading for the medcenter. His mom, he could tell, was afraid and in pain, and he just wanted to be with them both. He breached the door, imposing in his billowing black robe, his eyes already glowing deep purple, ready to lend his force to whatever needed to be done.

Mags felt her nephew approaching. "There's nothing that can be done in the force. This is something ingested, and if I can isolate it, I'd bet it's the same thing that's been making people sick," she said quietly. "He's fighting it, and so far his heart is holding. The only thing we can do is support him." She turned her head sharply as the heart monitor blared an alarm, the reading showing four missed beats before it resumed the fast, ineffectual rhythm it had been before. "Check on your mom, she was injured when Corso fell on her but is refusing any treatment. I just sent her to get some ice, just to get her to move around for a moment." Devin nodded, and before he could fully turn, could see his mom heading toward him.

"This was meant for me," she told him. "Aric has my security so tight that no one can get to me. So they go after my family instead. After Corso," she choked out, biting her lip. Devin put his arm around her and felt her stiffen, and knew she'd been at least bruised. "They knew I couldn't go on without him, so they..they.."

"Shh, Mama," he said, and the endearment nearly undid her as she leaned on him. "He's in the best of hands now, and we will figure out who did this."

"I think it's obvious who's behind it, but yes, I want Theron's accomplice in custody." She stood against him for a minute, just long enough to control her tears, then took a spot beside her husband. "Mags, any change?"

Magdalane looked at her sister, seeing the way she was breathing, and nodded. "His heart is beginning to slow down now. I'm watching the rate and pattern, so I don't miss anything that would be a problem. I'm going to keep him under to let his body rest, just like before, so you can go sit." Miriah opened her mouth, but Mags held up a finger. "No argument. He's doing fine." She looked to the corridor and saw Aric standing there, the caf container in his hand, looking lost. "Go tell Aric, eh?" Miriah nodded but she couldn't get her feet to move until Devin guided her to the door. Aric gently hugged her and Mags came for the container, calling for a tech to test it.

Caly got her uncle's message and was flying through the war room, Torian right behind her. She refused to cry, she told herself. Mom will need me to be in control of myself. That lasted until she saw her mother's pale face, and despite herself, she felt her eyes fill as she hugged her mother to her. They sat, and Caly saw Miriah shift to find comfort before leaning forward, her elbows on her knees. Torian took up a position on the opposite side of the Commander, and watched her carefully. She's injured, he thought, and wondered again how this attack had happened.

Aric was thinking back on the timeline of events and couldn't ignore his instinct to go after the woman who had handed him the container of caf. There had been something, even faint, in her eyes as she had handed the container over, and now he wasn't inclined to wait on evidence. Making a snap decision, he strode out of the exam room and snapped his fingers loudly. "Torian, you're with me," he ordered, and Torian immediately fell into step with him as they went up the stairs, not waiting on the elevator. When they flew out of the secure area, Aric said only, "We're getting that perp." Torian waited on clues, but none were given, and when Aric stopped at the door of the mess hall, he took a deep breath. "The woman who poisoned the caf is in here. You'll have to apprehend her, she'll run if she sees me, but I'll slip in here." He went on to describe the woman, and Torian nodded.

Mags looked at the datapad the tech handed her, and nodded. She'd figured it was some sort of agent that would normally be in a humanoid, but not in high levels and this was perfect. Potassium. In normal amounts, it was vital to heart function, but in high amounts, would disrupt the function of someone with a heart history. It truly was meant for Corso, Magdalane realized. Anyone with normal kidney and heart function would never know it was there. It was metabolized so rapidly normally that it was undetectable. She thought back over the list of patients she'd been working on, and it fit. She looked for Aric, but he was gone, and Devin, feeling her breakthrough, informed her Aric had already gone in search of the person who he believed had spiked the caf. She nodded and took a deep breath, possibly the first since this whole thing had started, and stared at the monitors, willing Corso's heart to settle.

Torian walked up to the caf station and looked around. There was only a few mugs left, and he could see the cart that Caly had told him was necessary to refill the large containers. The woman Aric described was indeed putting water in the tank, and he waited, knowing she would have to come around the protective counter to fill the station. After a few minutes, he saw the swinging door open and the cart emerge, and smiled at the woman pushing it. "Just waiting for a fresh brew," he explained, and she nodded. When she was close enough, Torian expertly spun her away from him, the stun cuffs on her wrists before she could even squeak. Aric stepped from the shadows then, a menacing grin on his face.

"Nicely done, kid. To the cells for now," he said, and turned his back on the spitting, sputtering woman who was yelling obscenities and threats, none of which made any sense. Aric walked with Torian as they escorted the woman to the holding cells, and once she was inside, they asked a female guard to search her. The vial they were looking for was located and placed in a plasteel container to be examined by Mags, and as they exited the cell, Aric put his hand on Torian's shoulder. "Let's keep this quiet until the Commander is a little more settled."

"Absolutely," Torian replied, remembering how Miriah looked when he left the medcenter.

Corso could hear people around him, but his limbs and eyelids were so heavy. He felt the trembling, racing heart that had betrayed him, and wondered how he had gotten to the medcenter. All he remembered was being ready to go home, Miriah close to him, and that was all. He felt warm and his body was relaxed, his only anxiety on his wife and where she was. Maybe I just need to sleep, he thought, and let his mind relax. Before he was towed under, he felt Miriah's hand on his face, and drew comfort from her touch, falling under the sedative he was receiving.

The family gathered just outside the medcenter, everyone but Miriah and Corso, and Aric filled them in on the events. "So the poison was located?" Sarai asked, and Aric assured her that their suspect had the vial on them when she was searched.

"Miriah is okay?" Mia asked, bouncing a gurgling Merida on her knee. Aric thought for a moment.

"She was injured when Corso fell on her, but so far, insists that she can survive on the little bit of air she's getting," he finally answered. "Regardless, she's not moving from Corso's side at the moment."

"Bruised, but nothing broken," Devin murmured to his wife, "but you would know more than I, love." She nodded at him, handing him the baby before she glided into the medcenter room.

"Dad is doing better," Caly offered. "His heart rate is stablized, Aunt Mags said. His body has already broken down the potassium, and now it's just recovering." Devin smiled warmly at her, and Torian had her hand in his, and she felt safe for the first time in a few hours. Now, we thought, we wait.

Aric oversaw the detail switching out before going back around the corner to talk to Mags. She was in the corner of the room, periodically checking the monitors, and Miriah stood, shifting her weight from one tired leg to the other. Aric went to Miriah's side. "Mir, go walk around, get some water, go to the refresher. I'll stay right here, I promise." Miriah looked at him and he saw fear, fatigue and a tinge of hopelessness that made him want to hug her. Instead, he indicated the door with his head, and Miriah tiptoed up to kiss his cheek before meeting Maura at the door, taking her sister's arm to walk around a bit with her. "Mags, what's everyone thinking? Is Corso really doing as well as to be expected?"

"He is going to be fine. Mir is going to hurt for a few days, but she's so stubborn she will never let on. Overall, we're making progress," she replied.

"I want to tell Mir we got her, but I don't want to upset her any more than she's already dealing with," Aric said softly, and Mags could hear the concern in his voice. "I want to make this all right, no one ill, no one in here. For the first time since Theron defected, I'm afraid." The admission stunned Mags and she found no words to say. Instead, she patted his shoulder and walked out to the main desk, leaving him alone with his friend, his mind whirling with it all.

Lana had squelched any talk coming from the incident, not wanting to create an alarmed mob. Instead, she saw the steady, daily work of the inner base, the only concern that they not let their guard down and endanger the population of Odessen. She wanted to go check on Miriah, but she knew she'd be better served to take care of the official duties. She wandered around and finally went to Miriah's apartment, thinking she would gather a few comfort items to take her friend. She had found a few things and then remembered the feast they'd eaten the night before. Rushing to the kitchen, she pulled everything she could find and helped the C2 unit heat everything, pulling out carrying boxes and heading toward the door with it all. When they exited the elevator on the sublevel, Devin and Felix rushed to help them with the food, and Lana smiled when they thanked her. She left them to eat and made her way to the room, where Miriah had been put on a chair beside the bed where her husband lay. Miriah looks withdrawn, she thought, and she quietly made her way to her friend. "I brought food from last night," she said in a quiet voice. Miriah looked up at her and smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "What can I do?"

"We're doing it, right now. Keeping Odessen running, the family fed. Corso will be grateful. I am, too," Miriah said, her eyes not leaving his face. "I am tired of this place."

Lana gave a soft chuckle. "I can well imagine if you never saw the inside of a medcenter again, it would be too soon." It wasn't until much later that Lana wondered if her friend had meant something else by her words, and the worry that resulted had her awake for the rest of the night.


	31. Chapter 31

Miriah woke with a jerk, her eyes crusty and itchy, the salt of her dried tears crystallized on her eyelashes. She immediately looked at her husband's face, the only light in the room the soft glow of the monitoring equipment. She could see no movement, and turned her gaze to the screens, the numbers blurring together in her sleep deprived mind. Two days, and Corso had only opened his eyes once, when she had been racing from the refresher yesterday. Miriah looked down at the dozen bottles of water on the floor near the chair. Since then, she'd refused all food and drink, unwilling to miss seeing Corso awake again. The chrono showed the wee hours of morning, and Miriah stretched her aching limbs, noting that it had only been forty-five minutes since she'd glanced at it earlier. I'm getting too old for this, she thought, her joints creaking. She stood carefully, and considered a shower and some fresh clothes, but shut down those thoughts quickly. Nope, not going anywhere, she confirmed, resuming her seat and stifling a yawn.

Day three saw the family coming and going, and finally, in the evening, Corso had woken briefly, but seemed disoriented and confused about why he was there. Only when Miriah had taken his hand and spoken to him did he calm, and only moments later his eyes closed again, her hand firmly held in his. That simple gesture almost made Miriah cry again, except she was pretty sure her body couldn't produce any tears at that point. When everyone had gone home, she was left there, unmoving.

Magdalane went to her sister, and tried to talk her into taking a little time away, but Miriah merely shook her head. Everyone had tried, Devin even went as far as to threaten to physically make her rest, but Miriah only dug in, her eyes glittering and raw, and Devin hugged her instead. Caly had brushed her hair and brought her warm, damp cloths to wipe her face, and Miriah had let her brush her hair. Logan had urged her to finally drink some juice, but that was all, even though he'd brought food. There was just no reaching her, Mags finally decided. There's just so much we can do until she lets us in. With that, she left her sister in the exact spot she'd occupied for the better part of a week.

Lana was still in her office when Nico found her. He stood at her door, watching her type on her terminal and rub her tired eyes. "There's nothing here that can't wait, Lana," he said softly, and she jumped at the sound.

"I know," she finally said, and stretched. "I just don't know what else to do." Nico crossed to her then, and she stood to embrace him, taking comfort in his arms.

"Is it true that Miriah is in bad shape?" he whispered, and Lana pulled back quickly.

"Where did you hear that?" she snapped, her eyes blazing.

"Sarai said she was worried for them both, and Mags just told me she's still there, like a statue," he replied, his voice quiet. "It's not public knowledge, beautiful." Lana sighed and rested her head on his chest again.

"She's bad," she finally acknowledged. "I can feel that she blames herself. I'm worried about them both, too." Nico stroked her back and hair, and she could feel the long hours dragging at her.

"Let's go, you need some TLC," Nico told her, guiding her out of the office. They were almost to the cantina when Lana's stomach growled loudly, and they stopped for a quick dinner. Lana was almost asleep in her plate when Nico gently drew her up and to his place, sitting her in a hot shower before putting her in his bed alone, wanting her to rest. He took a spot on the sofa and had to laugh to himself. This might be the first time I've ever slept on my on sofa on purpose, he thought ruefully, but settled in and muted the holo feed, the light playing over his closed eyes and relaxed face before fading, it's timer running out.

Aric had left Maura sleeping and made his way into the medcenter. He could see Miriah fidgeting, trying to stave off the need for sleep, and approached her quietly. "There's no need for this, you know," he said, concern lacing his voice. "Corso wouldn't want this, Mir. He'd be upset with you right now." Aric saw her head drop at his words, and saw silent sobs shake her shoulders. He sat on the arm of the chair and put his arm around her, and felt her break. Finally, he thought, and let her cry it out. When her shaking stopped, he realized she was asleep, and didn't want to move, afraid to disturb her. He slid down to sit in the oversized chair, pulling Miriah into his chest, knowing Corso would want her to be safe and warm and comfortable. He watched the scrolling data until his own eyes grew heavy and he napped, finally able to stop worrying for a bit.

Caly had been restless since her dad had been in the hospital, and Torian had enveloped her in his arms, his legs around hers, hoping to make her feel safe enough to rest. She did sleep for a while, and it had cost him dearly, his body betraying his thoughts and instead zoning in on the warmth and softness of the one in his arms. He prayed she'd be still, and so far, she had been. When she had been sleeping for over an hour, he eased up and quickly made his way to the shower, blasting the water icy cold. Calmer, he made his way into the other room, lying beside Caly and hoping for rest, pulled by invisible tethers to her, fitting her against his body, sighing with contentment.

Arcann had been visiting the cells beneath the main base daily, never saying anything but watching the woman who had poisoned Corso carefully. She had said nothing of value so far, and it frustrated Arcann. He planned to go into the base today to find the Commander and request that he use the force to enter her mind and find out the details. This morning, before the sun had risen, he'd left the bed he had shared for many months with Morgana and made the short trek into the base. Devin might have qualms about entering another's mind, but he did not, and Arcann was determined to help. He lifted his scarred face to the rising sun, letting the balanced force of Odessen surge through him, feeling those he thought of as family stirring around him. He valued this life, this existence, and only wanted to make things better. Once he had made sure of his motivations, he glanced around at the now-melting snow, the green buds of new growth already shooting through the frozen ground. That made him smile, knowing his crops would soon be ready to begin again. He hefted the bag with his armor over his shoulder, and cleared the security checkpoint into the base, and down to the medcenter.

Mags walked into the room and stopped. Corso had raised the head of the bed and was talking softly to Aric, who sat with Miriah sleeping against him. Corso looked peaceful, she noted. "Finally gave up?" she asked Aric, who nodded sheepishly.

"She did, early this morning. Hate to wake her, so I just sat here," Aric told her. Mags had moved on to examine her patient, and was pleased with what she saw.

"You need to wake her, she'll just be harder on herself if she doesn't get to talk to Corso," Mags advised, and Aric nodded, gently sitting her up.

Miriah's eyes flew open and she momentarily panicked. "It's okay, Mir. Look who's awake," Aric said, and turned her to see her husband. She rose slowly and pressed a kiss to Corso's forehead.

"So good to see you, sugar," she told him, her voice rough and weak sounding. He saw the fatigue and also the relief, and smiled at her.

"Darlin', you look like hell," he said in a sweet voice. Miriah laughed out loud, a short bark of laughter that made everyone around her smile in turn.

"Well, it has been several days since I've been home," she admitted, and saw his face sober.

"Days?" he asked, and they all nodded.

"Not important now," Mags said, scanner in her hand. "You'll be here a bit longer, Cor. Just to check for clots, like before. Now that we know exactly what caused this, I'm confident that your heart is doing well." Mags put down her tools and took her youngest sister in her arms. "Mir, you need a shower and some sleep." Miriah nodded and squeezed her sister.

"I'll go later," she said, but Mags knew she'd need more prodding. Now that Corso was somewhat back with them, Miriah should be able to relax, but she wouldn't, Mags knew. Instead of badgering her, she merely patted her sister's back and left the room, feeling lighter than she had all week.

Corso's eyes closed and Miriah saw his breathing slow and even out. "He looks good," Aric said, and Miriah nodded, not trusting her voice. She was still just standing when Arcann appeared, and she and Aric both moved to meet him at the door.

"I'd like to interrogate the prisoner," he said, and Miriah's eyes flew to Aric, confused.

"Prisoner?" she said, and saw Aric blush beneath his fur. He explained that they'd been holding the woman who had poisoned Corso, and for a moment no one moved. Faster than either man had thought possible, Miriah made a break for the door, anger radiating off her in waves. Aric caught her from behind, arm around her waist as she struggled against him, her rage taking over and making her strong. He crossed his arms around her and still had difficulty, until finally she stopped struggling and slid to the floor. Aric anticipated this move and merely sunk to the floor with her, and after a few more minutes she went motionless. Aric held on, not sure if this was ploy or not. Miriah's head snapped up and she pinned Arcann in her gaze. "You have my permission," she said. Arcann hurried away before Miriah could change her mind, and Devin found her mother and uncle on the floor.

Defeated, Miriah rose and, head down, made her way past Devin. They watched her walk to the elevators. "So she found out," he finally said to Aric, who was looking at his arm where Miriah had bitten him in her struggle to break free.

"Yeah, that could have gone better," he admitted with a sigh. "Corso is waking up more anyway, maybe she just needs a break."

Miriah made her way home and almost fell asleep in her tub before making her way to bed. Once there, she fell asleep quickly but nightmares had her up after a short time. She knew Arcann would report to her and only her, she'd messaged him with her request, and was sipping cocoa when she received his message. _Theron is on Zakuul, as you suspected. Our prisoner did not do well with the force I used on her mind. I ended her struggle mercifully._ Miriah sighed, a plan forming in her mind, and finally rose to return to the medcenter, feeling the strength of purpose propelling her forward.

Corso saw his wife as she returned, looking a little more refreshed than she had earlier. She approached him and gently kissed his lips. "You look a little more like my Mir," he told her with a smile. "I'm ready to go home, with you."

"I'm sure Mags would take exception to that," she told him, straightening the covers over him, then around her chair. He wanted her close, and she obliged, keeping contact with her during the rest of the day. After his dinner, which he had to admit was better than average, he felt his eyes grow heavy. "Sleep, sugar. I love you," she told him, kissing his forehead. He wanted to respond but was too far gone toward sleep, and smiled instead.

Miriah found Mags as she made one last round of her patients, and drew her into the hallway. "Is Cor really okay now?" she asked.

"He's going to be with a little more rest," Mags said. "So, yes. Go home, sleep, come back. Two more days and I'll feel comfortable with him moving around more. His rhythm has been stable for forty-eight standard hours." She saw the utter exhaustion in Miriah's eyes, and softened. "I promise, sweetie. He's good." Relief flooded Miriah and she almost sagged under it.

"Okay, I'm going home then," Miriah said, and left. The detail had been dismissed after the second day in the medcenter, and now, Miriah strode across the war room, the evening staff nodding and smiling to her. Going straight to her bed, she was out at once, and slept for almost six hours. When she woke, she gathered a gear bag, dressed in her leathers, strapped on her blaster and slid her shotgun into the pouch on her back. Working the terminal in the family room for a few minutes, she gathered some light food and paused to eat. One last stop in the refresher, and she hit the stealth generator before exiting the apartment.

Aric rose at his usual early hour and decided to see if Miriah needed a break, figuring she'd stayed in the medcenter overnight. He whistled as he waited for the elevator, and smiled and said hello to several of the night crew in the war room as he made his way to Corso's room. He could see from the outside that the chair beside the bed was empty, and walked softly to it. Hmm, it's cold, he thought, as his hand ran over the material. Maybe she did go home and sleep. Good for her, he decided, and sat in the chair himself, content to wait until either Miriah showed up or Corso woke.

By the time Corso woke, Aric had grown worried. He'd sent the detail to the apartment, but no one had emerged. Trying to swallow down the sudden fear, he told Corso he'd go check on her, and made his way across the war room, no smiles or hellos as his held onto his apprehension. He entered the apartment but knew at once she wasn't there. He exited as fast as he'd gone in, and hit the tunnel in a dead run, hoping she'd gone to the office. His heart hoped, but his brain knew.

Miriah was gone.


	32. Chapter 32

Miriah landed the sleek, black craft just outside the Zakuulan swamp, not far from where she and Lana and Koth had originally found the Gravestone in centuries of murky water and vines. Her eyes were still tired, even though she'd fallen into a dreamless, black sleep in flight, trusting the technology to take her where she wanted to go. Needed to go. I hope Corso is doing okay, she thought, and regretted leaving her holo in the military hanger. She knew it was necessary, that Aric would attempt to track it's frequency, but still hated that it was there, he was there, and she was here. Sighing, she closed her eyes and drew on what she had left of the force, letting it hum through her, the energy giving her a much needed boost. Instead of letting go, she expanded her feelings, trying to feel her enemy through his force signature. After several minutes of unsuccessful searching, she accepted that she wasn't that strong and stood, her body still vibrating slightly with the resonance of the force waves. With a look back at the ship, she ignited the small speeder she had stowed away and set off, her navigation system showing the surrounding terrain and where pockets of possibility existed. Possibilities of finding Theron Shan and stopping this madness, once and for all.

Aric set out for the military hanger and, once there, scanned the departures for the past twelve hours, swearing loudly when he saw the plan and who had authorized it. Dammit, Mir! What the kark are you doing? He was halfway back across the war room when Maura stopped him. He explained what was going on, and saw his wife pale. "We need to find Mags, fast." Maura agreed and they hurried to the small apartments stowed over the smuggler's cantina.

Mags heard the frantic pounding on her door and rushed out of the bedroom, fastening her robe around her. "Goodness, what can be.." Her words trailed off as she took in the agitation and spikes of fear around her sister and brother in law, and she registered the force change in the base. "Miriah," was all she said, and Aric nodded.

"She's gone to Zakuul," he confirmed, and Mags staggered backward.

"Oh no. No, no, no," Mags said. "Corso can't take this right now. He can't know."

"How are we going to pull that off?" Aric asked, incredulous. "I can maybe keep him distracted today, since she's been a week with hardly any rest, but I need to go to Zakuul, too."

"You need to stay here," Mags said firmly, regaining her equilibrium. "Devin. Send him after her, he can find her easily." Aric thought about it for a moment before nodding.

"Good idea, I'll go find him."

Maura put her hand on Aric's arm. "I'll go find him. You go be with Corso, tell him Miriah is just exhausted and you didn't want to wake her." She hurried out, leaving Mags with Aric, both of them hiding their worry badly.

Corso had slept well, had breakfast and a shower, and was tucked back into the bed, his eyes closed, when Aric approached him. "Where's Mir?" he asked, not opening his eyes. He'd have known if his wife had been with his friend, the current between them strong after all these years.

"She's exhausted, Cor. Still sleeping, and I didn't have the heart to wake her." Corso thought about that before nodding.

"I had no idea I'd been here so long already, I imagine she stayed here all that time."

"She did, didn't eat or drink, so she wouldn't have to leave you,"Aric confirmed. Poor darlin', Corso thought. No wonder she needs a little recovery time of her own. They had explained the potassium poisoning to Corso yesterday, and he knew Miriah was blaming herself. She shouldn't, he knew, but she would. Aric was telling him of apprehending the woman at the mess hall when he drifted off, his body still not quite ready for a normal day yet.

Devin hurried to the shuttle and was startled to see Torian there. "I'm going with you," he explained. "Aric okayed it. Just in case anything has happened to the Commander in the short time she's been there." Devin nodded and boarded the shuttle, letting Torian take them up and out of the planet's atmosphere. His mother was successfully blocking him now, but she wouldn't be able to once they were both on Zakuul. He called on the force spirits to keep her safe, and settled down in the right seat, willing the shuttle to fly faster.

Miriah made her way to what looked like the center of a small clearing, hopping off the speeder and keying her speeder's commlink, opening it to all channels on Odessen. She took a deep breath, and channeled her most seductive voice. "Theron Shan, I'm here. You want me? Come and get me. I'm quite sure you know exactly where this transmission is originating. Let's end this, right here and now!" She closed the channel and leaned on the speeder, figuring she'd have a wait while Theron made sure it wasn't a trap. While she waited, she pulled her blaster from it's holster, feeling entirely in her element as it charged up, the high pitched whine it made carrying in the air around her.

Senya had just received the call from Lana when Miriah's broadcast went out, and she turned worried eyes to the holo image. "She's just told everyone on this planet that she's here!" Senya cried out.

"She's trying to lure Theron out. We have Devin and Torian in flight, but it will be at least three hours before they arrive." Lana paced in front of the holo, and Senya felt the need to burn the nervous energy as well.

"At least she didn't post coordinates, and I'm sure that most will assume it's a hoax, but I'm worried," Senya said. "All we can do is try to find where she landed and get some troops out there."

"I'm almost afraid that might lead others to her," Lana murmured, and they both sighed. "Senya, I'll leave it up to you, but please, let's not do anything to make the matter worse."

"Agreed," Senya said, and the call disconnected. Senya's heart went out to the Commander, she knew how fiercely one would fight for someone they loved. She decided to wait until Devin arrived, knowing their connection would make it much easier for them to find Miriah.

Miriah watched the area carefully, ready for anything. She swatted at an insect and cursed inwardly. Maybe this wasn't my best idea, she admitted to herself. She was about to change locations when she swatted again at something on her neck, but before she could register the dart, she was slumped on the ground. A dark clothed figure made his way to her, easily lifting her onto his shoulder and set off, blending into the vegetation, the speeder left to the wildlife.

Corso woke alone, and briefly considered just going home to climb into bed with Miriah. He really wanted her with him, but he also wanted her to be comfortable and rested, and experience told him that she'd pushed herself beyond what she could recover in just a day. He took a deep breath and tried to tamp down his need, his brain knowing she needed some time but his heart craving her touch. Mags had been in and out, and now he saw her heading his way. Good, he thought, she'll know how Mir is doing. As she crossed the threshold, he greeted her with a smile. "How's Miriah really, Mags?"

Magdalane checked on an infusion and turned her emerald eyes to his. "She's very tired, dehydrated, and was injured herself when you fell," she told him, and he could see the truth.

"No one has mentioned her being hurt," he said, instantly remorseful.

"Well, as small as she is, she couldn't have escaped it when someone your size fell on her," Mags said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "She was bruised, but nothing was broken. Rib injuries are quiet painful, though, and I advised her to soak for a bit before trying to sleep." She traced her fingers over his wrist, feeling his pulse jump around. "She's fine, Corso. You can't worry about anything but getting better, okay?" She felt his pulse slow but still not steady. "I promise, I would tell you if Miriah wasn't well." She lingered a few more moments, until his heart rate was steady and strong. "Rest as much as you can," she told him, and pushed force to him, seeing his eyes droop. She wouldn't give him a sedative to make him sleep, but she was not above using the force. He needed the recovery time, she reasoned, and quietly made her way out, sending a brief message to Devin.

Aric settled in, sitting where he could see Corso, but his mind whirling. Why would she do this, why go off by herself? But then again, I should have seen it coming. Maura sat beside him, but he barely acknowledged it. If anything happened to Miriah, it will be because I didn't take every precaution, he berated himself. I should have figured out this days ago, and maybe Corso would be at home, Miriah safe. He growled low in his throat, wanting to roar but knowing he couldn't, not yet. He pulled the datapad from his pocket, checking yet again for any news. Maura's hand found his, and he let her touch penetrate the shell he'd drawn around himself. When she leaned against him, he hugged her fiercely. "You didn't fail anyone," she whispered, and Aric let her words soothe him, knowing in his heart that he would forever feel responsible if anything happened to Miriah.

The dark figure gently lay Miriah on some fallen boughs, taking a short rest. It was mid afternoon now, and he'd been carrying her for over an hour. He drank and rested, and wondered how far the ship was. Can't be much further, he reasoned. He knew he wouldn't use devices to track it, not wanting to alert anyone to where he was, and sighed. He really wanted to get her on board before she started to wake, so he again hefted her over his shoulder and set out, determined.

Maura had taken Caly aside and told her what was going on earlier in the day, so when Caly went to her father's room, she was prepared. He was awake, and smiled at her when she entered. "Dad!" she said, rushing to him. They hugged and Caly sat beside him. "I just saw Mom, she can barely move she's so sore," Caly told him, and saw him grimace. "She said to tell you she loves you and she'll be here tomorrow. I'm going back there in a bit, she took a mild pain reliever and Aunt Mags gave her a heated wrap, and she was settled in bed."

"I feel terrible that I hurt her," Corso said, and Caly saw his heart rate go up on the monitor.

"She's glad she was able to break your fall, Dad. Really, she's going to be fine, but you can't worry," she said, and put her hand on his. She waited until his monitor showed a return to normal, and when his dinner arrived, she helped him get everything set up, keeping a running chatter going about school, her internship, how things were on the base, anything she could think of to keep his mind from worrying about her mom. When she finally left, he was drowsy and hugged her hard.

"Keep an eye on Mom for me, okay?" he asked, and she nodded, blinking back tears.

"You'll see her tomorrow," she promised, and hoped with all her heart that she was telling the truth.

Dusk was falling on Zakuul when the dark figure hefted Miriah into the ship she'd landed in. He carefully strapped her into the flight harness and programmed the ship's controls, ducking back as the cowl snapped into place. In three minutes, the ship would lift off and follow it's instructions, and he could breathe easy. He retreated into the brush and waited, glancing at his chrono. When the preflight engines hummed to life, he took a deep breath of relief. He'd made it. Now, he turned and disappeared into the growing darkness.

Devin and Torian raced off the shuttle, and were met by Senya. "We've had no word," she told them, and Devin closed his eyes. He could feel his mother in the force, and she wasn't actively blocking him, but she was not responding to him, either. He was trying to be respectful of her and not push, but he was worried and reached a little further. She was just blank, for lack of a better word, and he pulled back, frustrated. Torian and Senya were discussing the possible landing sites when Devin saw a small craft shooting up into the night sky, and reached out again in the force.

"She's there," Devin said, and pointed at the craft that was rapidly getting smaller. "Let's go!" They ran onto the shuttle and the ground crew pulled the lines as rapidly as they could, a couple of them being ripped away as the shuttle rose from the landing pad. Senya watched as the two men set off in pursuit of the other ship, and wished them luck. Indo had accompanied her to the spaceport, and now took her arm.

"They'll be able to help her now," he said softly, and Senya nodded. She surely hoped so.

Devin was tracking the other ship, though they were significantly behind it. "Mom is in that ship, Torian, I know it. But she's not conscious." Torian snapped around to look at Devin, his eyes wide.

"Autopilot?" Torian asked, and Devin nodded. "Well, if that's the case, the ship's trajectory indicates it's programmed for Odessen. If she's not flying, that's where it will go." They set their own path, and Torian turned to Devin as their own system engaged. "If she's not conscious, is she at least okay?" he asked softly.

"She's not hurt," Devin confirmed, "but she's going to be really mad when she wakes up."

"Who would have done this?" Torian wondered, but Devin only shook his head. He was more worried about what was going to happen when she landed.

Miriah blinked awake, confused. Why was she back in the ship? The chime of the hyperdrive had gained her attention and she saw herself just outside Odessen's atmosphere, the blue and green planet looking like an oasis in the blackness of space. How did I get here, she wondered, and thought back on the last thing she remembered. She reached up and found the remnants of the dart in her neck and swore. The ship entered it's landing sequence, the whole flight programmed, and Miriah sighed deeply, ready for what awaited her.


	33. Chapter 33

"I don't know!" Miriah yelled, her hands thrown above her head. "I have the dart in my pocket, but I have no idea who put me in this ship!" Aric stood across from her, hands on his hips, his seriously mad face on.

"Why did you even try to take Theron on by yourself?"Aric asked, his voice struggling to maintain a normal volume.

Miriah's face was red and angry. "When someone singles you out, Aric, or Maura, just because they want to inflict the most possible damage, then you let me know how you react!" She tugged on her jacket, aware that she was riding a sharp edge of anger and frustration. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get cleaned up and go see my husband. You know, the one who nearly died because Theron wanted to hurt me even worse than killing me" Aric watched her go, thankful that at midnight, there was only a few people in the hangar to see him make a fool of himself. He rubbed his face and turned to see Maura waiting for him.

"How much trouble am I in?" he asked, the relief that had flooded through him when he'd seen Miriah replaced by the exhaustion and worry of the past twenty-four hours.

Maura snorted. "With me, none at all. With Mir? Probably not much, she gets over losing her temper pretty quickly." She threaded her arm in his. "C'mon, big guy. Let's make one last round then go to bed. It's been a long day for all of us." Aric allowed his wife to pull him along, wondering if he should go make sure Mir was okay.

Miriah slipped into the apartment and headed straight for the shower, wanting all of Zakuul's swamp off her as quickly as possible. She had to do a double take when she saw someone on her bed, and recognized Caly's hair. Where's Torian, she wondered, but soon forgot it under the hot spray of the shower. Her ribs still hurt, but they were better. When she was satisfied that she had sustained no other injuries, she climbed into bed, brushing Caly's hair away from her face. Caly's eyes blinked open and she grinned in delight at seeing her mother. They slept, holding hands, and were still there when Mags burst in.

"Nice to see you came back," Mags huffed. "Now, let me make sure that all you got was tranq'ed." The force light covered them all, and when it receded, Miriah grumbled.

"Now that I'm blind and deaf, can I get dressed to go see Corso?"

"That would be a very good idea. He knows that you spend yesterday resting and recovering from your rib injury." Mags glided out to the main part of the apartment, determined to deliver Miriah to her husband. When Miriah and Caly both appeared, ready for the day, the three women set out for the medcenter.

Aric had fallen asleep almost as soon as he had stretched out, the sudden lack of worry combined with the days of stress had taken their toll and he understood the expression "too tired to move". Even after a sound night's sleep, he was in no hurry to encounter Miriah. He knew that Torian and Devin had landed about an hour after she had, but he had warned them to just let it all go until today. Today, he had to try and figure out who their savior was on Zakuul, and why he or she had merely sent Miriah home. Not that he was upset about it, he was grateful, but he really, really wanted to know who it was. He knew Maura was up, he could hear the shower running, and decided he could be a little later, his energy returning in the few short seconds he took to shed his boxers before running to the refresher.

Devin had slid under the covers in the wee morning hours and Mia sat up, surprised. "What happened?" she asked, her voice louder than she'd intended it to be. She'd spent the day worrying and now felt both excited and apprehensive to hear Devin's answer.

"She's home," was all he said, gathering her to his side and yawning. Mia refused to be placated, and soon had the whole story as he knew it. "Now, let's sleep," he told her, closing his eyes. Mia lay beside him, but the whole bizarre story kept her up thinking, and soon it was time to start another day. Declan was singing in his bed, and Merida was laughing at him. Having them in the same room meant some issues when one was fussy, but overall, it worked out, and Mia couldn't help but be happy when her babies were happy. I will find out more today, Mia vowed, changing Declan first. When he was toddling to wake his daddy, Merida was changed and was nursing when Devin chased a giggling Declan to the kitchen. As they sat down to have breakfast, Devin sensed his wife's uneasiness and gently put his hand on her shoulder. "We'll have a formal debrief sometime today, if Uncle Aric can stand it." He explained what he'd heard when they landed and Mia bit back a laugh. The image of the tall, imposing Cathar getting dressed down by the little black haired woman made a comical picture.

"Well, as long as she's okay, I will try not to worry," Mia said. Devin leaned to her and kissed her softly.

"She is, or we'd still be on Zakuul." He kissed her again and stood, his first class of the morning starting soon.

Corso woke with his wife's lips on his, and he lifted his hands to her head and deepened the kiss, just having her beside him making him happy. She was soft and warm against him, and when they broke he only smiled and kissed her again. At that point, his monitors started to scream their alarms and Miriah drew back abruptly. "Now, see what you started?" she asked him, one eyebrow raised.

Corso just laughed. "I missed a few good morning kisses, just making up for lost time." The techs came running into the room and Corso closed his eyes, taking deep breaths like Mags had taught him, and the readings returned to their normal displays, the ear splitting alarms squelched. When they were alone again, Corso beckoned her to him, but Miriah was wary. "I just want to touch you, darlin'. I missed you yesterday." She walked back to the bedside and he engulfed her hand in his. "There, that's better."

"Other than getting a laugh out of scaring the staff, how were you yesterday?" she asked, not looking into his eyes but at the room, noting a good bit of the equipment that had been here had been removed.

"Going home tomorrow, I hope," he told her, gently rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. He didn't miss the smudges of fatigue that still outlined her eyes, and the weight loss that she couldn't afford. They avoided talking about anything but the future until Miriah got a message. She drew out her datapad and saw the request for debrief, sighing as she replaced the device in her pocket. "You don't have to put work aside for me," he told her, his voice gentle. "I know you have things waiting for you."

"I will have to go for this, but it shouldn't take long," she told him. Yeah, how long does it take to say you ran off in a blind rage and ended up not accomplishing anything. She smoothed the hair away from his forehead and he caught her again in a deep kiss, managing this time to keep the alarms silent while he reassured both himself and her that things were getting back to normal.

Lana waited beside Aric, her face impassive. When Aric told her what had happened, she couldn't help but wonder if Theron was the mysterious figure that placed Miriah on a safe path home. If it was, but he was also responsible for Corso's poisoning, then how did it all fit together? Miriah wouldn't have hesitated to take Theron out, so if her theory was true, then why did he send her back? It had gone in a loop through her head all night, so much so that she finally got up and went into the office, gulping caf and pacing through the night. Now, she waited. And tried not to let her past influence her. Right, she said to herself. Even though she didn't want Theron as a husband anymore, that didn't mean she wanted him to be held accountable for something he didn't do. Or did do, for the greater good of the Alliance. That was the crux of it, she just wasn't sure which side he was really on. The movement at the door broke her reverie and she stood as Miriah walked in.

Aric looked at his sister in law and was stuck with the desire to hug her. She looked beaten, and resigned. Not normal for his Spitfire. That worried him. Was it the after effect of the dart or was she just tired, as he had been last night. As he still was, if he would allow himself to feel it. She moved to the chairs and sat, pouring water after glancing at Lana and getting her nod. It was safe, and she drank deeply. "Now, who goes first?" she asked, folding her arms over her chest.

"First off, I'm sorry I let my worry come out as anger," Aric said, and Miriah made a motion at him, brushing it to the side. "Second, did you see anything at all?"

"Nope, nothing. I was waiting for something to happen, and of course in the shade the insects were biting. I had slapped at a couple, so when the dart hit me, I slapped at it. I knew what it was immediately, but it was too late. I went down hard, next thing I know the hyperdrive alarm was waking me up above Odessen." She shrugged, and the frown on her face told as much as her words.

Aric sighed. "If I had to place credits on it, I'd bet on Theron." Miriah started to protest, but Aric put his hand up. "Even if it seems unlikely, who else would have taken you out of danger and sent you home?"

Miriah shrugged again. "I just don't know."

Lana caught Miriah's gaze, and asked quietly, "Why?"

"I just had to do something. I couldn't sit idly by while the Order of Zildrog takes shots at my family. Arcann confirmed that Theron was on Zakuul, and..."

"Wait," Aric said. "He didn't say that Theron was behind the attacks, just that he was on Zakuul, right?"

"Right," Miriah confirmed.

"So, Theron might have been on Zakuul, but someone else in the Order might have been planning this attack." Lana leaned back, her finger tapping her lip. "I have Arcann's transcript here," she said, bringing up the file and sending it to the others. They read silently until Miriah stood up.

"I don't want to leave Corso for too much longer," she said. "If it was Theron who sent me home, then we have some other things to consider. I'm sorry that I worried everyone, and sorry that I caused alarm here, but not sorry that I tried to end this madness."

"I know," Lana told her, and hugged her. Miriah dropped her head and started out, but Aric wasn't done. He wrapped her in a bear hug, and Miriah felt him shake.

"I don't think the Alliance could stand to lose you, Mir, but I know we couldn't. I couldn't. You mean too much to me and Maura," he whispered, and swallowed hard. He held her for time, trying to gather himself together, and when he stepped back, Miriah could see the dampness on his face. She tiptoed up to kiss his cheek before turning to leave, and Aric felt a weight lift from his shoulders.

Miriah made her way back to the medcenter and into Corso's arms. He hugged her close and sniffed, loving how her familiar peach smell made him feel as if everything was fine. He knew something had happened, he could feel the change in the air yesterday, but today all seemed well and normal. He savored the feel of her in his arms, and when he closed his eyes, she sat on the chair, her hand on his arm, and he was content.

Mags came in and pulled her sister out into the corridor. "I think you might be still suffering from whatever drug was used in the dart," she explained, and guided Miriah into another room. "I just want to get a blood sample, see if there's anything I can do to make you feel better."

"But I don't..."

"Shut up and let me help. I can tell you're dragging, and maybe we can counteract whatever it is." Miriah sighed and held out her arm, waiting for the procedure to be finished. When Mags patted her arm, Miriah returned to Corso's side, smiling at him when he turned his head to her.

Mags took the sample to one of the huge machines, put the blood inside and waited. When the answer spit out, she looked at it impassively. Lecepanine, she thought. High grade, expensive. Used whenever a bounty hunter had explicit instructions to incapacitate, not kill. She hummed thoughtfully. Zakuul certainly had people with enough wealth to have a stockpile of this if they wanted, but who would? She turned to go home, at least satisfied that Miriah would clear it with relative ease.

Miriah helped Corso with his dinner, which he made a face about but managed to eat. He had finished and had made his way back to bed when Aric and Maura brought food in. "Hey, that's the good stuff," he laughed. "Feed my darlin', I just ate." They talked and Corso encouraged Miriah to eat, which she did. She had always loved Maura's meatballs, and she felt sturdier when they left. Turning to her husband, she hugged him close. He had already made her promise to go home and sleep, and now he lifted her up onto the bed with him, not wanting to lose the warmth and comfort she provided.

"You're going to get us in trouble again," she teased him, and he saw the first genuine smile of the day on her face.

"It'll be okay, I know people in high places," he retorted, and kissed her again. "Go, sleep. And try not to get into any trouble tonight." Miriah's eyes flew to his, but she saw only his grin.

"I'll try," she replied, a little shaken by his comment.

Aric saw Mag's message about the tranquilizer and frowned. Maybe we can track the drug, there can't be a whole lot of it on Zakuul. With that thought, he slouched on the sofa, Maura in his arms. I'll see what I can find in the morning. He put his datapad on the low table beside him, and let his wife distract him, getting back to a semblance of normality.


	34. Chapter 34

Corso had been dreaming of Miriah. He could feel her soft skin against his, hear her familiar sighs and moans of pleasure. Taste her as his kisses trailed down her body, the fingers of one of her hands tangled in his hair, the other trailing fire over his body. _O_ _oooh_ _h, yes, baby. Just like that._ Her eyes as he shifted her under him, heavy lidded with her passion. He waited to hear her call his name, in that low, sexy voice she had these days. Instead, what he was hearing now was the glaring alarms of his monitors. Dammit, I'm tired of these things, he thought, as two techs ran into the room. He shook his head at one, and the other asked if he had been jumping on the bed. With a wicked grin, he explained he was having a dream. About his wife. As that sunk in, the young men snickered and left him, making their notes on his chart. Let them think about that, he thought smugly. I wish it were morning, I miss Mir, he mused, trying to get comfortable again. It was some time before he fell asleep again, and when he woke the second time, he sat up, looking at the chrono. Early morning, but not too early. I can get a shower before she gets here. Slowly he stood, letting his body adjust to the movement, and made careful steps to the refresher.

Miriah had been restless, waking several times to reach for Corso, disappointment washing over her when she realized he wasn't there. Finally she rose and dressed quickly, her dozing detail waiting for her as she exited the apartment. With a huge sigh, she let them get into place before setting off, anxious to see her husband. When she entered, he had just exited the refresher, and was pulling the shirt she had brought him yesterday over his head. She hurried over to him, but he seemed sluggish, not himself at all. "Sugar, let's get you over here, okay?" She led him to the bed and helped him get settled and he grabbed her hand.

"Mir?" he asked, as if she had just arrived.

"I'm here," she assured him, but her eyes watched the monitors catch up. "How are you feeling today?" she asked softly.

"Okay, I guess," he replied, "but I was better earlier. Then I took a shower, and now I don't feel so good." His face was cool and Miriah couldn't see anything wrong. The monitors looked fine, but there was something wrong, Miriah knew it.

Smiling at him, she tucked the pillow under his head, lowering the bed some. "Maybe you just didn't get enough sleep. It's early yet," she told him, and when she turned to go get the doc on duty, Corso wouldn't let go of her hand.

"Please, don't leave me, darlin'. Please," he pleaded, and Miriah couldn't turn away.

"I'm right here with you, I promise," she told him, placing a soft kiss on his lips. "I love you," she whispered, but his eyes had closed and she realized he'd slipped into sleep. His grip on her hand was solid, though, and she was loathe to break it. Something is just not right, she thought again, and hoped Mags would be here soon.

Lana had sent Nico home last night and had fallen into bed, too tired to worry. She had slept well, and when she woke, the headache that she'd had for a week had loosened it's grip, and she stretched, settling back on her pillow. Miriah had told her to take a day off, and leave the duty officer as point, but she felt guilty doing that. She might just go in late, she decided. Suddenly, she had an idea, and jumped out of bed. I'll take some breakfast to Miriah and Corso, she thought, and hurriedly dressed and brushed her hair. When she had gotten food and scanned it twice, she headed for the medcenter. When she walked in, Miriah sat on the edge of the bed, Corso's eyes closed. Miriah looked up and motioned her in with a smile.

"How's he doing," Lana asked, her voice almost a whisper.

"He says he doesn't feel too good today, but he fell asleep a little bit ago. I'm hoping he was just tired," Miriah answered. "Please tell me that's food, I'm starving." Lana pulled a few items out to hand to her, pulling the portable table over to where Miriah sat, one hand captured. "You're my savior today," Miriah said, taking a hearty bite egg and cheese.

"I wish I could do more," Lana said. They ate together, chatting about the different items that they worked with every day, making a plan to get some major items off the to-do list tomorrow, when hopefully Corso would be home. When Lana stood, she hugged Miriah. "Message me if you need lunch, I'm going to do a few things in the office and then check in with the mess hall manager. He wanted to know about a couple of replacements, so I'll get his input and see if they can pass the background checks."

"Good idea, thanks so much, Lana." Miriah smiled as her friend walked away, grateful for Lana's generosity and work ethic.

Mags strolled into the medcenter and into Corso's room, seeing at once the worried look on Miriah's face. When Miriah had explained the events of the morning as she knew them, Mags said nothing but her force aura flared over the man lying in the bed. Mags was methodical, and saw a few small clots that had resulted from the crazy rhythm that Corso had experienced. She saw nothing that worried her but realized that the small clots could have caused the slight confusion. She let her force gradually dissipate and quietly told Miriah what she'd found.

"So we're not totally out of the woods," Miriah said, and felt her heart drop.

"I think we are mostly out," Mags said. "Maybe one more day to make sure he doesn't develop any more, and I'm going to put him on a mild platelet inhibitor daily for a bit, and that should resolve any that might be hiding from me." Mags pulled up his chart from overnight and smiled. Nothing wrong with this man, she thought, that his wife can't cure. "He really is on the mend, Mir."

"Okay, I'll keep an eye on him." Miriah had figured the activity would wake him, but he remained asleep until she couldn't put off a visit to the refresher and gently pulled her hand from his. When she returned, he motioned her closer until he could kiss her, and he seemed himself. Maybe he was just tired, she thought, and let him pull her closer, resting her head on his chest.

Devin wanted to get to see his dad, and hurried over after his morning classes. He found Corso watching the holo net, Miriah sitting beside him, working on her datapad. Seems normal to me, he thought with a grin. "Dad, Mom," he greeted them, getting a hug from each. "Great to see you looking better, Dad." They chatted, and Devin told his mom he'd stay until she returned from a quick trip to her office to pick up some files. When she had gone, Devin held his father's gaze. "Now, how are you really feeling?"

Corso blushed. "I wish I could explain it. I feel like I'm in a bubble, like everything is happening around me but without me." Devin stood to get Mags, but Corso held out his hand. "I'll tell Mags, it's just, I don't want to worry Mom any more than I have."

"Okay," Devin agreed, and leaned out the door to motion to his aunt. When it had all been explained, Mags nodded.

"I took some clots out this morning, from various places. I was going to start you on a mediation this evening. You're still just working through the after effects of it all," she told them softly. "I gather that Mir doesn't know this?"

"Don't make her worry if this is temporary," Corso said, and Devin nodded. Mags agreed, and left them both feeling a little better.

Miriah was just in her office when she heard the main holo start it's blaring priority alert. She hurried out and pushed the detail to get to the war room, a little out of breath when she arrived. Vowrawn's image looked back at her. "Commander, I hear that you are on a little man hunt. A common enemy, as it were."

"We are," she confirmed. "But we're close to having Theron Shan in custody." Vowrawn favored her with a huge smile.

"I have no doubt that you have him in your sights, but should he escape them, and find his way into the Empire's territories, please allow me to assist in apprehending him." Miriah's brow furrowed, and she stared at the image.

"Why?" she said, arms crossed over her chest.

"Dear woman, I want to be considered an asset of the Alliance. I'd like to be associated with someone like you, with spunk and stubbornness, who lives life instead of observes it." He finished his statement with a grin.

"You'll forgive me if reserve judgment," she said flatly. "If Shan escapes our space, I will inform you. I expect the same courtesy."

"Of course, of course. I look forward to eliminating a known enemy of the Empire. Should he attempt to familiarize himself with the Chiss again, we will definitely help." He looked behind him, his brow furrowing. "I must go, Commander. Wonderful to see you again!" The image blinked out, and Lana stood at Miriah's side.

"You're his challenge," Lana said, holding out a bag with a mouth-watering sandwich inside. "Lunch."

They sat in the office and ate, and Miriah felt guilty that she'd been away so long from the medcenter. "I should be going. I have the items for today on my datapad, I'll send them to you as I finish them." Thanking Lana again for the food, she set out for the stairwell, noting that her detail seemed larger. She shrugged and carried on down the stairs, hoping to see Corso more himself.

Aric pulled his own holo out and dialed a frequency. When one of the detail troopers appeared, he nodded in greeting. "We're on the ground, Major. We'll check in this evening, let you know what we know."

"Stay sharp," Aric told him, and the short call disconnected. Maura happened to see the other man just before the image was lost, and raised her eyebrow at her husband.

"I have to do something," he told her. "You have to admit, if Theron put Mir back in the ship when he had a perfect opportunity to kidnap her, then something other than his defection is going on here." He turned to his wife and appealed to her. "Don't you want to know?"

Maura sighed. "I do," she said. "I can't help but feel it was someone else, with all that's happened."

"I read the transcript of Arcann's interrogation. He's a scary, scary man. This woman stated that she had received her supplies from a backer on Zakuul, and that she knew of Theron, but had never met him. That says something to me, and while I'm not on Theron's side, I feel like we need to know more."

Maura took Aric's hand. "I'm with you, hon. But maybe not put this on Mir, just yet anyway."

"Way ahead of you," he replied, standing. "Let's go see how they're doing."

Miriah had been working while Corso napped, and she would look over at him at regular intervals, making sure he was resting. When Aric and Maura came in, she smiled at them. "Can you stay for a few minutes?" she asked, and Maura nodded. Miriah hastily made her way to the refresher, and Aric sat in the other chair, pulling Maura into his lap. When Miriah returned, she let out a deep breath. "Thank the force, you guys saved me."

"You don't have to be here all the time." Corso's voice reached her and she turned, everyone else forgotten.

"I want to be, sugar. Good nap?"

"No, you weren't in bed with me, so it was an okay nap." Aric coughed then and Miriah realized Corso hadn't seen them. "Hey, guys."

They chatted for a bit, and Maura promised to bring something down for dinner for them. Miriah worked off and on, standing to stretch her legs and move around, helping Corso up a few times. By evening, he was sitting in the chair beside her. His color looked normal, and he seemed himself. It made Miriah feel a relief she couldn't even describe, and when they'd eaten with Aric and Maura, and visited with Logan and his family, Corso had tired. Miriah saw his flagging energy and so did Logan, who helped his dad stand and walk to the bed. He was settled and the room was quiet when he spoke. "Mir, come lay with me."

"Mags will have a ronto," she replied, but moved to his side.

"I don't care," Corso whispered. "I just don't want to be here alone." His plea was so heartfelt that she couldn't ignore it.

"Let me go get some softer clothes," she told him, bending to kiss him. "I'll be right back."

"Okay, but hurry," he told her, blowing her a kiss as she left.

Miriah rushed her detail to the apartment and quickly showered and changed, making her way to the door just as Caly rushed in.

"Mom! Because of all this with the mess hall, my internship has changed!" Caly's eyes were wide and her breathing short. "I'm going to have my own place in the smuggler's cantina!"

"That's great, Caly. You'll do a wonderful job." She started to walk, pulling Caly with her, and listened as her daughter gave her all the details of her amazing day. Caly was winding down when they reached Corso's room, and Miriah peeked at her husband. His eyes were closed and she wondered if she should stay. When Caly hugged her and left with Torian, who she hadn't even seen until they were leaving, she eased into the room and took the chair.

"Whatcha doin' over there, darlin'?" She slowly grinned and stood, climbing under the blanket, snuggling to her husband, who sighed contentedly. "I love you, darlin'. This is the best I've felt in a week."

"Me, too," she told him, feeling her day wash over her with fatigue, falling asleep before Corso did. He didn't mind, he was happy to feel her against him, and know she was still his.


	35. Chapter 35

Torian made his way back to the pod, breakfast in his hands. He had left Caly asleep, her break week just beginning. Next week, she'd be cooking right across from here, and he was happy for her. He entered quietly, not wanting to wake her, but saw her eyes blinking open. "Tor," she called, and he crossed to her. She pulled him down to her for a kiss, and they got lost for a bit before Torian remembered the food. When they were eating, happily grinning at each other, Torian suddenly sobered. "Caly, you know what I want for us, right? A life, a family eventually. To be together, for the rest of our lives." She nodded, her smile only faint now. "I have a ring to replace the one you wear now," he said, and heard her gasp. "I'd like to give it to you for your birthday, but to do that, I need to ask your father for your hand, a formal engagement, and I'm afraid to upset him."

"He's been home for two days, and it's been well over a week since he's had any heart problems. Besides," she said, taking his hand. "he's aware of our commitment. I really don't think he'd be upset."

"Maybe," Torian said, but his frown remained. It would be just his luck that Corso would have to go back into the medcenter, or worse, he thought. Caly tugged on his hand, bringing him back from his thoughts.

"I'll go with you," she offered, but he shook his head.

"No, this is a man to man thing," he told her, and she shrugged.

"I'll go see Mom and check on how he's doing, and send you a message," she told him now, and he reluctantly nodded. He really wanted to make things official before too much longer, he felt like a lech just staying with her all the time, like it was unseemly, somehow, even though the Commander had requested it. With a plan in place, however dubious it seemed, they readied themselves to go out into the day.

Miriah had been in her office for a few hours, and had almost caught up on everything that needed to be done. Now she pondered an idea she had last night, one that had woken her. She was still trying to figure out if it was viable before mentioning it to anyone, and stood to walk over to the workstation Corso usually used. Running her fingers over it, she wondered how he was feeling. He had been doing well, but when she left this morning, he was still asleep, and she hated to wake him. He was more relaxed being in his own place, and loved having her beside him in bed. The one night they slept together in the medcenter was a disaster, with techs coming in all night to make sure everything was okay, but Miriah thought it was really to see the Commander of the Eternal Alliance in pajamas. Even still, it was good to have everybody home. She still didn't feel comfortable with family outside the secure area, but so far, no one had left.

The whole episode on Zakuul was still a little fuzzy in her mind. She clearly had been dosed with something major, she thought, to have blurred so much of her memory. She sighed, and wondered again about her idea. The one to send Corso to Dantooine to keep him safe, away from her. On one hand, it would put him in a place where there were no gangs, no supporters of the Eternal Empire under Valkorion or his children. He'd be safe, and could be outside with his animals, without worrying about being a target. But then, it only took one good sniper, Aric had taught her that much. And they'd be apart, which would make them both miserable. Maybe I'll get Aric's input, if he doesn't go ballistic, then maybe it has merit. She sent him a message and tried to focus on the rest of the reports in front of her.

Aric pulled a chair up in Solasta's office. The General had just put the baby in the portable crib, and she was sleeping soundly. Solasta had a soft smile on her face, and turned her attention to Aric. "What's up?" she asked. She'd been kept in the information loop as she was on leave, and now that she was back at least half days in the office, Aric wanted to update her on the small contingent of detail troopers he had on the ground in Zakuul. When he had finished, Solasta sat back and thought about his words before speaking

"And Miriah knows of this?" she asked, and knew the answer in the corresponding shrug of Aric's shoulders. "Don't you think she should? By now, things have settled enough that I'm sure she would be fine with knowing what's going on. Besides, if they find something, she's going to know then, and I'd bet she won't be so understanding at that point."

"You're right," Aric said, and stood, the message on his datapad from the boss herself. "By the way, anytime you need a sitter, we'd be happy to stand in." Solasta let out a light trill of laughter.

"You'd have to lock the grandparents up somewhere to get a chance," she answered, and waved as he left. Solasta sighed, it was good to be back in the thick of things.

Caly was turning the corner to the office when the detail stopped her for a moment before letting her go to her mother. Mom looks worried, she thought, and hugged the smaller woman. "Mom, how are things? How's Dad today?" she asked.

"He was still sleeping when I left," Miriah responded. "But he seems to be doing well. I was just about to go home and check on him."

"Okay, let's go together," Caly said, and pulled on her mother's arm. Laughing, the two women waited for the detail and started down the hallway. Once at the apartment, Caly loped ahead and into Corso's arms. He was in the kitchen, making lunch, and left it for Caly to finish as he found his wife. Once she was in his embrace, he felt whole.

"Darlin', I sure did miss you this morning," he told her, kissing her cheek as she pulled back to look at his face.

"How's everything today?" she asked softly, and could see in his eyes that he was rested and relaxed. He confirmed her observation, telling her he felt like his normal self, and was ready to be back with her in the office, citing his projects that needed his attention. "Maybe tomorrow?" she asked.

"This afternoon, if that's okay." Miriah let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, and admitted to herself that it felt right to have him with her.

"Of course, it's okay. I miss you when you're not there," she told him, and he bent his head to kiss her just as Caly called them for lunch.

Aric had left Solasta and made his way directly to Miriah's office, but she had already gone. Odd, he thought, and decided to find Maura instead. He met her and Missy in the mess hall, and was pleased to see them getting along so well. We still need to figure out how to get Missy on Zakuul, he thought. Now that I have the other team there, I feel a lot better about her going. He ate and listened to the woman chat about the family and Colin's upcoming wedding. He was thinking about how long it had been since his kids were toddlers, and missed them saying his name, until Maura pulled on his sleeve. "Oh, sorry, what did you say?" he asked, a sheepish grin on his face.

"I was wondering when I might be heading out," Missy asked, reluctant to give away anything more.

"I'm meeting with the Commander this afternoon, I'll have more info them," he replied, and stood. "In fact, I'll go see if she's back in the office now." He kissed his wife's cheek and headed out, putting his hands in his pockets to protect them from the cold wind that howled around the courtyard, shivering slightly. At least Zakuul is warm year round, he thought, and wondered if he should go. No, Theron would never come near me, he told himself. At least the snow is melting, at last. He headed into the secure area, his head filled with ideas and plans for not only the detail on Zakuul but ways to improve security on Zakuul. He was so lost in his thoughts that he almost ran head long into Lana, who had been watching him as he neared the offices.

Lana pulled Aric aside and hissed into his ear, "You have people on Zakuul? It might have been a good idea to let me know. I just found out from Senya, because they were almost arrested by her forces."

Aric blushed, but held his ground. "Well if that's true then they shouldn't be down there," he told her. "Yes, I sent people down to try and find out who sent Mir back."

"I thought we were going to send Missy to Zakuul to lure Theron out," she said, hands on her hips. She had been furious since Senya's call, and was also confused at being left out of the plan. "When did the Commander authorize this?" When Aric only frowned, she realized the truth. "She doesn't have a clue, does she?"

"I was heading in there to tell her myself," he muttered, not meeting her gaze.

"You'd better hurry. Senya was not happy, and it wouldn't surprise me if she wasn't going to call Miriah after she talked to me." Aric shot forward, leaving Lana to shake her head in exasperation.

Miriah looked up when Aric burst into the office, and felt glad that Caly had persuaded her father to stay at the apartment this afternoon. He looks ashamed, she thought, and motioned for him to sit. When he'd explained what was going on down on Zakuul, he sat quietly as she regarded him with her silver gaze. "So, I got a bug up my ass and went to try and get Theron without telling anyone, and then you sent troops down to see who had saved me, without telling anyone. Seems to me we need to be more open with each other, is all." She saw Aric visibly relax and tried not to chuckle. "I'm sorry. I know I never said it, but I am. Now, let's hear what the troops have found?"

"Nothing," Aric said, a half smile lifting one side of his face.

"So let's get Missy down as soon as possible, and please, alert Senya," Miriah said, and Aric nodded. They stood at the same time, and Miriah went around the desk to hug her brother in law. "Besides, I have another question for you." She explained her thoughts about Dantooine, but before she had finished, he was shaking his head.

"Sorry, Mir. It's just not a good idea. We'd have to keep him inside even there, and have another set of guards."

Miriah sighed. "I figured as much, but I worry. He is my everything, and anyone who knows me, knows that." She sat again and Aric felt his heart go out to her.

"I know, I'd consider it if it were Maura, as well. But he's safest here, with you. Besides, he would be a heartbroken, pathetic mess without you, too." Miriah laughed and Aric left, feeling a few pounds lighter than earlier.

Torian waited for Corso to answer the chime. "Hey, Torian. Caly is here, but I think she was planning a soak in Mir's tub."

"That should help her relax, she's been so keyed up about the internship," Torian replied, following Corso into the family room. "Besides, I really wanted to talk to you alone."

Corso regarded the young man for a moment. This had better be about their engagement and not any boundaries he might have crossed, he thought, and braced himself with a couple of deep breaths. "Okay, I'm ready," he said.

Torian shifted on his feet before sitting across from Corso. "I know she's your youngest and your only daughter. I love her with all that I am, and I would like to formally ask for Caly's hand in marriage."

Corso watched the young man's heart shining in his eyes. He knew without a doubt that Torian loved his daughter the way he loved Miriah, without reservations or conditions. He loved Caly for who she was, not what she could do for him. He still felt a little odd about it, but figured it was because she was his little girl. Still, he nodded, and saw Torian breathe. "I know you love her, but she's still my daughter, and I'll hold you responsible for her wellbeing. Also, the wedding will not be soon, right?"

"Right, I just got anxious with all that's happened, and wanted to make my intentions clear and above board," Torian said, trying to keep the grin off his face. "I have a ring, that I wanted to give her for her birthday, too, but I first I had to ask you."

"You're a good man, Torian. I will welcome you into the family with open arms." They shook hands, but Corso pulled the young man in for a hug, and when they parted, he saw Torian's frown.

"You're okay, no heart issues from this?"

Corso laughed. "None at all. I'm going to be fine from now on, no fudging on my caf intake or slacking off on exercise."

"Good," Torian said. "We need you around for a long time."

Miriah got home shortly after Torian and Caly left, and Corso greeted her with a hug, squeezing her against him, just happy to have her in his arms. He told her about Torian's visit. Her response was that it was a good thing that he did. Corso agreed, and pulled Miriah down on the sofa. "Now, let's be kids ourselves," he told her, kissing her as she giggled. It really was good to get back to their normal.

Missy put the finishing touches on her gear bag, her excitement mounting. She had always loved field ops, and this one would be her chance to prove herself to Aric and the Alliance. She knew there was a small chance she could lure Theron out, but she figured their past would at least make him curious. She had only learned, in talking with Maura today, that Theron had married Lana Beniko, and that she had divorced him after his defection. He might not even know about that, she mused. At any rate, they had a lot to talk about. She patted the bag and placed it beside the door, hoping the call came early for her flight.


	36. Chapter 36

She's up pacing. Again, Corso thought. He knew Missy was going to Zakuul first thing in the morning, but I'm fine, kids are fine. Family is content inside the base. He watched her surreptitiously, not wanting her to know he was watching her. Her arms were crossed over her body, and she looked so tired. After several minutes, he shifted slightly and she saw him. "Oh, sugar. I didn't want to wake you," she whispered, going to his side. He pulled her on top of him.

"I can think of way better things to do if we're awake at this hour," he told her, his breath raising the hairs on her neck, making her shiver.

"While I'm all for it, I just feel so tense, I'm not sure how much either of us would enjoy it," she admitted. "I'm tied up in knots over sending Missy essentially on her own to act as bait." Corso just held her, his hands gently massaging her back and up to her neck. "Ooooh that feels so good," she murmured, and he could feel her relaxing on top of him. Her muscles bunching under his hands, he did his best to give her some relief, and after a while felt her go slack, finally asleep. He lay there, her familiar weight soothing to him, and closed his eyes with her.

Torian had felt light as a feather since his talk with Corso, and now, waking in the middle of the night, he couldn't believe his good fortune. He caught himself grinning, but then a little seed of doubt appeared. Nothing his whole life had gone as planned, why did he think things would be wonderful now? He rolled onto his side and Caly snuggled to him, and he forgot what he was worried about. He would tell Mandalore his news in the morning, and he was sure she would be happy for him. Caly wiggled her bottom against him and he had to take deep breaths as he turned away. I'll be insane by the time we marry, he thought. But it will be worth it. He tried to go back to sleep, but his smile remained.

Missy stood in the breaking dawn, the air cold but calm. She saw Aric coming toward her, and smiled. "I'm glad to get this going," she told him, and he nodded.

"I've programmed your secure frequency," he told her, handing her a relay. "We'll be expecting your check ins on it, and if anything gets crazy, you can just open the channel and we can hear everything on your end." He paused as she inspected the device. "Are you good with this?" he finally asked, and she nodded enthusiastically.

"Very good. I'm looking forward to helping." Aric studied her, seeing a confident young woman who was healthy and in good spirits. He was reluctant to get too attached to her at first, but now, she was family. He hugged her then, and she giggled as she returned it. "I'm going to be fine. Now, go do whatever you do this early."

Aric laughed, and waited until she was aboard the shuttle before going to get breakfast. He figured Corso and Mir would be up, and turned down to the apartment. As he entered, he smelled the caf and did a little happy dance as he made his way to the kitchen.

Corso was cooking bantha bacon as Aric came in, and grinned at his friend. "Good timing. We're about to sit down, and I made plenty." Aric eyed the spread of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast with jam, and his salivary glands got the best of him.

"It would be insane to say no to this," he said, taking the plates Corso carried and putting them on the table. "Mir doing okay today?"

Corso eyed the door. "She's not sleeping well, but that's not unusual. That's about it, really. She's worried all the time, more than she was even before the poisoning. I don't know, Aric. I wish we could just go away for a few days, just to let her mind rest for a while."

Aric thought about his words. "I know, I wish I could give that to you both. Maybe soon," he said, and poured them both caf. "Maybe we can get you two away in a ship for a few days, but a ground op would be a logistical nightmare, security-wise."

"I know," Corso sighed, and sat across from Aric. "I wish things were different, but we may have to take what we can get."

"And what is that?" Miriah asked, swooping into the kitchen. She'd applied some light makeup, just to lessen the dark smudges and lines around her eyes, but it didn't make her feel less tired and stressed.

"Taking the _Dreamweaver_ up and just resting for a few days, just us," Corso told her, and she saw the longing in his eyes as he took her hand.

"That's not a bad idea. Easily defended on her own, and we wouldn't have to do a lot of planning," she said thoughtfully. "I'll see how things look at the office, I promise."

Corso leaned over to kiss her. "I would appreciate it, darlin'. Sometimes, I feel like the weight of the whole galaxies is centered here."

"Me, too," she admitted, and caressed his cheek. The sound of the happy tune Aric was humming caught their attention, and they both laughed at the sight of him enjoying breakfast.

"I swear, I'd eat here every day if it wouldn't make me feel guilty," he said between bites, and when Corso brought some fresh baked biscuits to the table, Aric sighed in contentment.

Miriah tried to eat, and did manage enough to make Corso happy. When they all made their way out to the detail, she felt a little more energy than she'd had before. I want to get in a workout today, she thought as they walked, the men chatting to each other. I want to know that Missy is safely on the ground on Zakuul and that the troopers on the ground are aware she's there. I need to talk to Senya, she decided, and when they were at the office, Miriah went to her desk and pulled out her holo.

"Good morning, Commander," Senya greeted her, and Miriah smiled. They caught up and Miriah reminded Senya that Missy was on the way. "We're ready, boss. My forces will be very light in the area she's working, and hopefully we can nab a traitor."

"I really hope so, too," Miriah said. "This has gone on too long. Did you locate any other unusual patrons there?"

"The name that Arcann gave us, of the wealthy backer who held the stores of potassium, was a false name, of course. We searched some of the warehouses here, but came up with nothing. It's possible the woman knew only what she was told, and that's all Arcann could get from her."

Miriah thought about that. "You're probably right, she was low enough on the food chain to have only need to know info," she mused. "At any rate, maybe Missy will be the catalyst we need."

"We'll keep her safe, Commander. I promise." Senya's image winked out and Miriah realized she did feel a little less worried about it all. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, and turned to look at Corso. He was reading through all the posts he'd received in his absence and chuckled at a few. He looks relaxed, she thought. Normal. She took another deep breath, letting it out as slowly as the first. At that point, everything clicked into place and her focus returned, sharper than ever. Reaching for the datapad, she sent a message to Lana that she was ready for the morning brief.

Lana heard her datapad chime and lifted Nico's arm to roll over and try to find it, buried in her clothes on the side of the bed. Once she fished it out and hit the switch to bring it to life, she sat straight up. "Damn!" she said, and rushed into the shower. She readied herself as quickly as possible, opting to just let her hair air dry as she pulled on clothes. At least she was at her apartment, and had fresh clothes available. She stopped her frantic movements only to send a quick message to the boss, saying she'd be there in ten minutes. Lana examined herself in the mirror and saw Nico watching her, still sprawled on her bed.

"The Commander is already in the office?" he asked her, his voice sending spirals of heat through her stomach.

"As I should be at this time of morning," Lana said. "I'd kiss you, but we know I'd be very late then, so I'll just say see you later."

Nico grinned at her, and watched as she rushed out the door before rising and pulling on his own clothes. He figured he'd go home and get cleaned up, ready for the day. He knew he had a short shuttle run but that was all, and wasn't in a hurry as it was scheduled for the afternoon. He recalled Lana's panic at receiving the message this morning, and it made him smile. The running of the Alliance didn't just mean Odessen, and he knew how hard both Lana and Miriah worked to make it seem so smooth. He felt pride in them both, and that had him humming as he boarded the elevator. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he was on the right side of things instead of looking up from the bottom.

Lana hurried across the courtyard, the sun bright but a definite chill in the air. The snow had mostly all melted, except under the trees and overhangs, and she felt the promise of warmer days. She smiled and nodded at those she met, and like Miriah, felt like things were truly heading back to their normal. When she reached Miriah's office, she went to Corso and surprised him with a hug. "It's great to see you back here," she told him, laughing at his expression. She settled across from Miriah and pulled up the reports that had been coming in since she left the office yesterday. "It seems that things are fairly quiet across the Eternal Alliance," she said, scrolling through the list. "There were a couple of updates on rebuilding, but nothing major. The usual petty squawk about wanting you to visit, along with a few requests for additional supplies. Nothing we can't handle. The only thing I'd bring to your attention would be the request from Haven to dedicate the colony there."

"I mentioned it to Aric a few weeks ago. I believe he said it would be easier to go when the snow melted and security would be easier to arrange." Miriah was reading the reports as well. "Maybe we should go to some planets, or have them all come here again."

"Security would be a nightmare, and I'm sure Aric would tell you the same, if you go to each planet. I'd wait on the weather to be warmer for a conference as well," Lana murmured, thinking of the last time and how much the officials had enjoyed the promenade and courtyard. They discussed Missy's insertion on Zakuul and made arrangements for the check ins. When Lana went to her own office, they had the day set.

Torian closed his call with a smile. As he'd figured, Shae Vizla has endorsed his engagement with a huge laugh and congratulations. She'd complimented him on cementing the relationship between Mandalorians and the Alliance with his choice of _riduur,_ which had made him wonder if she knew that he truly loved Caly. Deciding that it didn't matter, he made his way to the bank to withdraw the ring from his storage there. He had seen Miriah's amethyst settings, and had talked to Mia for insight on Caly's jewelry tastes. He'd picked a brilliant sapphire in an antique setting, and when he'd shown it to Mia, she'd cried happy tears. Whistling, he tucked it in his shirt pocket, being careful to button the flap down, and patting it with his palm to ensure it was secure. In five days, he'd be able to say the words to her, and even thinking about it calmed him. He walked back out into the sunlight and stood in the rays, feeling as if his life were finally getting on track.

Corso had stayed home at lunch, and Miriah had finished the afternoon as quickly as she could. When she finally cleared her desk, she met Maura for a workout. Once they'd finished, she pulled Maura to the side and discussed the day with her. "I'm really thinking we may just take a few days out in space," she finished, and looked at her sister.

Maura thought about it. It might be a good solution for the vacation Corso wanted with her, and it would be as safe as things ever were. "I'd do it, Mir. You both need it, and things will be fine here."

"I don't know," Miriah mused. "I feel like I've been out of the office a lot lately, and I don't want anyone to think that I'm shirking my responsibilities."

"Just consider it part of Corso's rehab," Maura shrugged. "Besides, anyone who knows anything knows that you've earned a little down time." Miriah hugged her and they parted at the elevator, Maura going to cook for her husband. Miriah only stood there for a few minutes, long enough that her detail started to shift around her to allow for the normal traffic of the war room. Instead of going home, though, she directed them to the military hangar.

"Ready the _Dreamweaver_ ," she told the duty officer there, and he responded with a sharp salute.

"Absolutely, Commander. She should be ready to lift off in two hours. Shall I file a flight plan?" he asked, standing at attention.

"I'll do that from home. Thanks, Lieutenant." She nodded at the young man and had the brief thought that she didn't remember being that young before resuming her journey home.

Corso had napped then made dinner. Caly had breezed through and helped him finish and now she was setting the table when Miriah came in. They ate and talked, Torian joining them, and when the kids were gone, Miriah turned to her husband. "Do you have a gear bag packed?" she asked him, and saw his surprise.

"Of course, darlin'. Always," he answered.

"Let's go, then." He grinned and hopped up from the sofa. Miriah had flied the flight plan and sent messages to Lana and Aric, and waited for him at the door.

"Are you not taking a bag?" he asked, puzzled.

"Not planning on needing many clothes," she answered, and laughing in delight, they let the detail take them to the ramp of the ship.


	37. Chapter 37

Corso took the ship out of orbit and to the coordinates that Aric had chosen. Once the space anchor was set, he and Miriah took a shower together and settled in to sleep. Miriah slept, off and on, the whole first day they were on vacation, only waking to eat dinner with Corso. He had been worried at first, but then realized he was glad she was finally getting some rest. He had checked on her frequently, and when he went in with food, she woke, stretching and smiling at him. "Anything going on today?" she asked him, and he only kissed her.

"No communications, remember. We're just a big rock out here, nothing to interfere and no one to talk to," he told her, setting a tray across her lap. They ate together and danced, and loved each other the next day. On the third day, they talked for hours. About Caly's upcoming engagement, and when they would allow her to marry. The grandkids. The plans for the ranch on Dantooine. Everything they meant to talk about, but never found time for on Odessen. When they engaged the engines to go home, albeit at sublight speed, they had agreed it was a perfect break.

On Odessen, day one: Aric had heard from one of the troopers he had on Zakuul that they had spotted Missy and that they were moving to the swamp. They had already surveyed the landing site from the info taken from the ship Miriah had taken, but only saw the smashed vegetation. So far, trying to talk to the locals had been a bust, most either thankful that Vaylin was gone or too tired from actually working for a living to notice their surroundings. Aric had almost recalled them, but decided to let them remain for another day or two.

Lana had taken Miriah's absence in stride until one particularly obnoxious politician called, demanding to talk to Miriah. Lana was loathe to advertise that Miriah was off planet, and instead told her that she was in a meeting. She figured that would hold the woman, but she continued to call until Lana let it roll to message. She wouldn't say what she wanted, but she was becoming increasingly insistent. Lana figured it was a personal matter, but it was only a guess. Anyway, there was nothing to alarm Miriah about. She had left the office knowing that Odessen was fine.

Caly had started her internship, and was surprised when she saw how busy the morning shift was. She had made more omelets and breakfast dishes than she ever done, and by the end of the lunch shift, she was exhausted. She would only do those two meals for the first two weeks, and then the next two, the dinner shift. Even Hylo Visz has stopped by, and told her that her food was all her crews could talk about. Since the two cafes charged for meals, while the mess hall didn't, she was grateful her cooking had been received so well. She left with a big smile and aching legs, and told Torian she was going to soak at her parent's apartment. As she let the hot water soothe her, she thought about how it all had gone, and realized that there were a few ways she could think of to make the shift run easier, quicker. Everyone wanted their food hot and fast, and the manager of the facility had warned her that if she was good, they'd be busier than ever. She closed her eyes, pleased with the day.

Missy had settled into the nearby cantina, and now spent the day in their outdoor seating area, chatting to the other patrons. She'd heard stories of how the once-automated society now had to actually work for things, and there were decidedly two different schools of thought. Most were horrified that their world's wealth was taken by force from other worlds, and felt ashamed. Those were the ones who were having to learn new skills, to earn credits for food and shelter. They tended to feel grateful that the worlds who had been siphoned hadn't retaliated, and thought the Commander was a wise and generous person. The minority hated that they were having to work for their living, and Missy saw that a few were used to it, being in the underground of society before, but now they had a new chance. Some took it, and figured they were alive, and that was enough. Others took it personally, and hated the Commander. Missy's job was to find out if there were any that hated her enough to kill her, and to find Theron Shan. She figured she'd get at least one of them done.

On Odessen, Day two: Aric woke to urgent messages on his datapad. The patrol commander had located an informant who told him that the person who had put Miriah back on her ship was a Mandalorian. No one was sure if it was a male or female, but there were rumors that they were looking for Theron Shan as well. Aric rubbed his eyes, and stood, going for the caf he could smell brewing. A rogue Mandalorian? Well, not the first we've seen. The caf streamed into the thermal carafe and he took the whole thing out to the balcony. It's chilly, but I can definitely tell the seasons are changing, he thought. The birds were starting to sing, but the sun was still hidden for a bit longer. He wished he could tell Miriah what he'd learned, but he knew she and Corso had earned this break, and by his own orders, there would be no communication unless the situation was severe, and he figured this would wait. At least another day.

Lana had a restless night. She couldn't help but wonder if the politician who kept calling had something that needed an immediate resolution, and she told herself that if the woman called back, she'd explain that the Commander had taken some days with her husband, who had been sick recently. Maybe she'd understand, or even let Lana help her. She could only try, she told herself. She rolled over and punched her pillow. It was still early morning, and Lana hoped she'd be able to get a little more sleep, but it wasn't to be. She rose and decided to go to the cafe where Caly was cooking, get a great breakfast and maybe run into Nico. With a decided spring in her step, she showered and dressed, surprised to see a smile on her face in the mirror. I am happy, she realized, and rushed out the door, humming a little tune.

Caly had taken some time the evening before, at her parent's place, to bake five loaves of bread. This morning, she brushed melted butter over the slices and placed them on the grill to toast before making sandwiches with them, some with eggs and cheese and bantha bacon, some with her own recipe sausage patties that she had worked on for a couple of months now. The servers were reporting that they were being received well, and Caly grinned to herself. She had even seen Lana and Nico eating and laughing, and her heart swelled with pride. Nico had even ordered another sandwich to go, giving her a wave and a wink when he caught her eye. Torian had been sitting in the corner table, getting to hear what the customers said, and she couldn't wait to ask him what he'd heard. By afternoon, she was dragging, and Torian had gone to check on his apartment. When she emerged from the shower, she lay on the bed, still wrapped in a towel, too tired to care.

Missy had decided to check out the surrounding area today. Everywhere she went, she saw the rebuilding efforts. Wow, to have turned the Eternal Fleet on your own people, how crazy do you have to be to do that, she wondered. Still, spirits seemed good, and she now had a few escape routes mapped, just in case. She lifted her nose to the air and caught the scent of baked goods, then spotted the bakery down the street. Aric had set up an Alliance account for her, and given her the access codes before she left. She had protested, but he assured her that she was working for them now, and she had accepted. Now, she was happy she had. The hot, dark caf and glazed pastry hit the spot and she wandered out of the shop, happily licking sugar off her fingers. Not a bad assignment, she thought. Not bad at all.

On Odessen, day three: Aric strolled into the war room, immensely glad that Miriah and Corso would be back this evening. He'd almost broken his own rule about transmissions but Maura had given him that look, and he'd just taken a deep breath. He'd gotten more about the Mandalorian presence on Zakuul, and he was itching to fill them in. He'd been hearing great things about Caly's breakfasts in the smuggler cantina and he and Maura were headed there now. It really is convenient to be here inside the security, he thought. The apartment is just as big as our other one. We may as well just stay here. I'll have to bring it up with Maura. He spotted her waiting for him, and was glad she'd already ordered. There had been a crew just coming off a Fleet ship, and they were beginning to line up at the counter already. He bent to kiss his wife and then sat down, the scent of the hot sandwich waking his taste buds. It's going to be a great day, he thought, and took a bite. A great day, indeed.

Lana had finally gotten the politician to confide in her, and it was as she suspected. She wanted Miriah to perform her wedding ceremony on Odessen, and Lana had sent her a packet on the required paperwork and available times. Miriah always tried to accommodate these requests, so Lana knew to pencil it in for the date the politician had requested. Once Lana had given her all the information she required, the other woman was so thankful that she apologized for being short on that first day. Today, Lana was relaxed. Nico had made sure she slept well, and she knew Miriah would be home this evening. With a little luck, they'd have a peaceful day. A peaceful day is always a good day, she thought, and flicked on the lights of her office.

Caly finished the breakfast menu, and looked up to see the cafe owner. "Calypso, you are doing a great job here. Those breakfast sandwiches are wonderful, and I'd like to offer them in the promenade location. Can you go over there and teach them?" he asked, a wide smile on his face.

Caly was excited, this is what she wanted, to create, but her face fell as she took in his words. "I'm sorry, I can't," she told him, and when he saw her face, he realized what the problem was.

"I forgot, no going outside. I'll send them here instead. Just remember, don't share it with anyone else," he told her with a wink.

"Of course not," she replied, blushing. She watched him walk away and wondered if her lunch special would be as popular as the breakfast menu. She was planning to try her mother's tomato sauce recipe instead of using the jarred stuff, and with a determined stride, she went into the storage area to pull out her ingredients, the joy of her work making the time fly. She had been so tired yesterday, and then so embarrassed when Torian had walked in and she'd been practically naked, asleep. He'd reassured her that she was fine, but she felt her cheeks heat up just thinking about it. He was being a good sport, she thought, since the cooking had taken a lot of her time. She planned to make it up to him on her birthday. With that thought, she hummed as she crushed the fresh tomatoes in her hands, her mind and her hands in two different worlds.

Missy had gone back to the bakery early, and sighed now with her tummy full and her to go cup in her hand. Today she'd not stay out too long, since she had plans for the nightlife this evening. She waved at a woman she'd seen earlier in the week, and was gazing at the baby in her carrier. She really wanted one, one day. She strolled on, and was aware that she had a tail. She stopped a few times to window shop, and caught sight of him, a Rodian. She laughed to herself and ducked into a dress shop, greeting the shopkeeper and choosing a couple of dresses, then going into the changing area before ducking out the back. She made it back to her room after shaking him, and laughed out loud when she flopped on the bed. Someone knew she was here. That thought thrilled her and she curled up for a nap. Maybe the evening will be even more rewarding, she thought as she drifted into a donut induced sleep.

Miriah came up behind Corso as he transmitted the shield coordinates and her override code. "Sugar, this was a great idea. I hope you had as much fun as I did," she whispered to him.

Corso covered her hands with his. "Do you have any doubts? I think we probably have about a half hour before we land, if you want me to elaborate further."

Miriah giggled in his ear, her warm breath on his ear arousing him as much as her touch. "I'm not sure we have time for what I have in mind, but we will be in our own bed tonight."

"I'll hold you to that," he warned her, and kissed her hand. They glided through the atmosphere over Odessen and when the _Dreamweaver_ touched down, they stood at the air lock, holding hands. When they exited, they were met with the combined gazes of Lana, Aric and Caly. They looked excited, not upset, Miriah thought, and took a step forward. Here we go.


	38. Chapter 38

I'll wait until after the cake, he told himself. Then I'll propose. Torian was sitting at the cantina, and it was quiet for once. Since Caly had been cooking there, it was rare that there wasn't a line. She had told him she was teaching her assistant to make some things, but that she wanted to keep some of her secrets. He smiled to himself at that. He was so proud of her, and how she seemed to mature overnight, not that she wasn't before, but this was more a sense of being who she was meant to be rather than what she thought was required. He loved that in her. Maybe I'll wait until we're alone, after the party, he thought. No, she'll want to show her family the ring. Before the party, maybe. He caught her eye and grinned. She was ready for the lunch customers and took a quick break to come out from behind the counter and sit with him.

"This is so much fun," she said as she put a cold drink in front of him, sipping her own. "I am sorry, though."

"Why?" he asked, taking her hand. Her eyes sparkled and her face was flushed from the heat of the kitchen, but she looked so beautiful.

"You're out here, bored, just because you're assigned to protect me." She let her ponytailed hair down, and Torian watched the waterfall of caramel silk as it cascaded down to the middle of her back. She squeezed his hand and his thoughts returned to her.

"It is a little boring, but I'm also monitoring comms for Major Jorgan and reporting traffic to the duty officer," he told her, and for the first time, she noticed the relay in his ear and his datapad, worn and dingy, on the table beside him.

"Wow, okay. I had no idea, but then I've been so focused on myself the past few days," she told him, seeing a crew making their way over to the cantina. "I love that you're comfortable letting me do my thing, and I promise, I will make it up to you tomorrow." She had requested the day off, and since she was doing an internship, there were only a certain number of hours that she could work in a week's time. She stood and bent to kiss him, taking the simple kiss to a smoldering level before straightening. "I guess I'd better get back to work," she said, smiling a little at the depth of passion in his eyes.

"I love you, Caly," he told her, and caught her hand.

"Love you, too," she told him, and their fingertips lingered as long as they could as she walked away. Maybe when we're snuggled in bed tomorrow morning, he thought. He almost missed Missy's check in, but caught it in time and sent the message to Aric.

Missy had spent the evening in the cantina, and had not spotted her stalker from before all evening. This morning, she settled in a nearby cafe, soaking in the sun and sipping caf, reading the galaxy news on her datapad. She had a check in and keyed the relay, making it look like she was just moving her hair behind her ear. When she'd given the key word and clicked off, she sighed. So far, she hadn't seen any signs of Theron, but she had been there enough days that the locals had started to expect her, so that was something. She had sat at the bar all evening, chatting, and now she saw one of the women she'd talked to, and waved. If she were honest with herself, she was bored. She knew patience was key in espionage, but it had been some time since she'd practiced it. Still, she figured in a few more days, people would talk to her more easily. She had told those she met that she had been injured and was recovering, which wasn't far from the truth. She stretched and stood, and a flash of silver caught her eye. The man she spotted was the right build, but his head was half shaved. She almost dismissed him but for the cybernetics. Not to many with implants that sophisticated, she thought, and casually moved out of the cafe and onto the street. The man now strode away from her, and she followed, moving quickly and quietly. When he stopped, she turned into the alley as he whipped around to survey the street behind him. By the time Missy peeked around the brick wall, the man was gone, and Missy growled low in her throat, frustrated. She waited, hoping he would loop back and check for his pursuer, but she was disappointed. After an hour, she made her way slowly back to her room. Tomorrow, I'll go further down to have caf, she thought, knowing that the businesses down that part of the street were mostly tech and weapons, but that there was a small cafe that was adjacent to a park. Yes, she decided. She wasn't positive that it was Theron, but it was the first time she felt she might have something, and she held onto that little bit of info, just in case she was wrong.

Miriah had been in the office all morning, and now she stood and stretched. "Let's walk around a bit, shall we?" she told Corso and he stood to take her arm in his.

"Where to?" he asked. They'd enjoyed being home after the reports last night, and they both seemed more relaxed and calm than they had in a long while.

"Ideally, outside. But as things stand, let's tour to the military hangar. We should be able to glimpse some sunshine there, and then we can meet Mom for lunch at the cantina." They waited for the detail to form up and Corso pulled his wife against him, loving her soft chuckle.

"Sounds perfect," he said, grinning at her. She was his Miriah today, not Odessen's nor the Alliance's. He knew she tried to be like this all the time, but since they'd started this journey it had become increasingly difficult. Maybe, he thought, we're on a better path. They rounded the corner and with the main hangar door open, they could indeed see the weak beams of sunlight as they fought the high clouds, the wind causing the door to rattle as it whistled in the open space. He took a moment to enjoy the fresh air, the promise of the season change.

Miriah closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "This is wonderful," she said, and Corso only nodded. He couldn't see any snow, but figured the ground crews had cleared away any from the landing pads and entrance. It would be spring soon, and he hoped with all his heart that they could resume their normal lives, able to get out and enjoy it. After several minutes, Miriah squeezed his arm. "Let's go see what our daughter has cooked for lunch. I have to finish her cake tonight," she told him, and they made their way to the cantina.

Sarai had stopped to hug Torian before taking a table for four in the main seating area. She had seen he was actually working, and didn't want to interrupt the young man. She admitted to herself that she'd been wrong about the young man, and now she was quite fond of him and how he loved her granddaughter. She heard the detail before she saw them, and waited for Miriah to arrive. Whatever Caly is serving, it sure smells good. She knew there would be the regular ronto burgers and such, but there was also a plate lunch, and that's what she'd ordered for all of them. Miriah and Corso reached the table just as the young waitress did, and Sarai saved the plates when the young woman realized she was serving the Commander.

"Nice save, Mom," Miriah laughed as the flustered waitress made her way back to pick up more orders. She waved at Torian, who smiled and waved back. "This looks delicious." They enjoyed the grilled oro bird that had been perfectly seasoned and served with fresh steamed vegetables and hot buttered rolls.

"Caly has certainly found her calling," Sarai said, patting her middle. It was more than she'd eaten in weeks, since she'd gotten sick from the mess hall debacle. "I wanted to talk to you, Mir, about staying in this section. I love my place, but it's too big with Caly here, and I enjoy the people, the activity."

"Of course, you can stay here, Mom. I'd prefer it, since I worry about your safety. I'm so glad you're open to it," Miriah replied. "I think Aric and Maura are staying, too. Aric mentioned that he liked being able to feel the pulse of the base."

"I've seen him going just outside the hangar doors early in the morning, enjoying the quiet," Sarai said with a smile. "Good, that settles that. I'll have my C2 unit gather what's left there and move over here." They chatted for a bit, and when Caly was free, she came over to say hello, getting hugs and praise. They could see she was tired, and let her go with Torian. "Such a fine couple," Sarai observed.

"They'll be engaged soon," Miriah told her mother, and waited for the fireworks, but they never came.

"Good," Sarai said after a minute of contemplation. It would be nice to have all the kids settled, she thought, and sipped her tea, content with her day.

Devin had the kids while Mia went food shopping, and when she returned, he helped her put away the items while the kids napped. He was telling Mia how much Merida reminded him of his mother. Her jet black hair, identical to both Devin and Miriah, had grown and now it was silky against her fair skin. Her eyes, while not the pure silver of her grandmother, were a very light blue, and her facial features were a perfect match.

Mia snickered. "Uncanny, isn't it," she replied. "I love it. She'll be a beautiful woman, and a force user, so she can handle all the men."

"She even quirks her eyebrow like Mom," Devin said, laughing. Their children had grown, Declan walking around and Merida sitting up. "Logan said seven for dinner."

"Good, I bought wine to take," Mia said. She was quiet when Devin felt the little sliver of concern from her.

"What's wrong, love? Having second thoughts about taking the kids to Logan's?" He put his arms around her and held her, and felt her sigh against him.

"No, I was wondering if we should have any more," she confessed, and Devin just hugged her closer.

"If the force wills it, we will," he murmured into her hair. He couldn't imagine that right now, with the two they had so young. Mia's aura settled and he relaxed.

"You're right," she agreed, and they enjoyed the quiet time, knowing it would be all too brief.

Miriah was frosting the cake for Caly's party. It would be a rather low key affair, just here in the apartment, but she wanted the cake to be special. While Caly could cook almost as well as her mother, she did not have the baking skill. Miriah was concentrating on the flowers she was piping onto forms when Corso came in.

"Wow, that's really pretty," he told her, examining the side that she'd finished. The icing was white, but Miriah had made spring flowers in a variety of colors for the decorations, and she had to admit, it was one of her prettier cakes. She had a sudden vision of Caly's wedding cake, and how she would make it, and Corso saw her eyes become unfocused in thought. "Everything okay, darlin'?"

"Yeah, I just thought about her wedding cake," she said, and Corso's face went slack before hardening in determination.

"No. Not just yet," he said, shaking his head. Not for a little bit. He wanted to keep her his little girl for a while longer.

Aric and Maura had gotten settled in to their new apartment, and now were lounging on the sofa. "Do you want me to cook or just go get dinner from the cantina?" Aric asked softly, not sure if Maura was awake or asleep. They'd been on the go all day and they were both tired. Their sofa was a welcome refuge. Aric waited a minute, and had decided Maura was asleep when she spoke.

"I wish we could get another lunch special. That was really good," Maura said with a happy sigh. "She'll be cooking only the dinner shift in ten days, and I'm looking forward to that."

Aric chuckled. "But you didn't answer the question," he teased, gently nudging her.

"Hmm, I am hungry," Maura said and heard her datapad chime. Pulling it out, she laughed. "Talk about timing, Miriah just invited us over for dinner."

"Perfect," Aric said, and had stood when his datapad chimed as well. He read silently before turning to his wife. "One of our troopers said they thought they saw Theron, and managed to snap an image. It's uploading now."

"Then let's hurry over to Mir's, she'll need to see it, too," Maura answered, and grabbed his free hand. He followed blindly, his eyes on the screen of his device the whole time. Maura explained what was going on when Corso answered the door, and they all waited for the image to load.

"Damn, why is this taking so long?" Miriah asked.

"Encryption on both ends," Aric explained. He didn't want anything leaked or diverted, so he'd insisted on the extra precaution. Although, right that second, he couldn't for the life of him remember why.

When the image finally formed, they all gasped. The image showed a man who looked different than he had, but the arrangement of the cybernetics, along with the strong jaw, had them all thinking it was Theron on the screen. When they'd all examined it silently, Miriah reached for the device again. "I want to say it's him, but I wouldn't swear to it. He looks too different," she said, handing the datapad back to Aric.

"I thought the same," Corso said. "Hey! Maybe we need to get Lana here and get her to look at it. She'd know for sure."

"Maybe," Miriah said, chewing her bottom lip. "How long ago was the image taken? And can anyone get the coordinates to Missy?"

"About five minutes ago, and already done. She confirmed and is heading there now," Aric said. Suddenly he threw his head up and sniffed. "We'll be monitoring it all, but we may as well eat."

Miriah lauged. She loved feeding her brother in law, simply because he enjoyed food so much. Once they had seated themselves at the table, she felt her anxiety lessen and the well being that had lingered on this day continue. Whatever the answer, Missy would know soon.

Missy saw the man that the troopers claimed to be Theron, and watched him from her table. He might be, she thought. If only he'd turn a little more, I'd know. She had stood to approach him when she was tugged backward, into a dark room, a hand over her mouth and what she knew was a blaster in her back. She was thrown into a chair and a small lamp came to life. The man who'd taken her turned, and she felt her sharp intake of air.

Theron Shan turned his piercing gaze to Missy. "What the kark are you doing here?"


	39. Chapter 39

Missy watched Theron as his cybernetics glowed brightly. "So, just decided to drop in on Zakuul, Missy? Or are you here for something specific?"

"I was injured in the bombings after Vaylin died, and came here so that I could find a job after I'm released to work," she answered. "The SIS doesn't exist any longer, so I got a post here working with the reconstruction, keeping their computers going." Theron examined her as she spoke, but since she was using mostly the truth, she knew her facial expressions and body responses wouldn't give her away. "I heard you've gotten in over your head."

Theron swung away from her and paced. "You know nothing about me anymore. And how do I know you aren't here, spying for someone? The Empire, maybe. They aren't above trying to rake in the bounty. I know you're not in league with the Alliance, the Commander only uses family or close friends for confidential work, and I know all of those people." He rubbed his chin, and Missy remained silent. Let him draw his own conclusions, she thought, and lazily stretched herself on the small chair, wincing as her scar tissue pulled against her skin. He finally stopped, and stared at her again. She could see the fatigue and stress in his face, and almost felt sorry for him.

"I'm just glad to see a friendly face," Missy said. "No one we used to work with made it out but us, that I know of." She shifted her hip and felt the relay in her pocket. At least he hasn't taken it. Yet. "Let's have some caf and talk."

"No time for that," Theron said, slashing his hand in front of him. "I can't risk you mentioning you saw me." Before Missy could even react, she felt the dart in her arm, and everything went dark.

Torian had gone early to get breakfast, and Caly smiled to herself. My birthday, she though, and wondered at how she felt so much older than just a year, when she looked back. When Torian came in and crossed to her, she sat up and he kissed her. " _Briikase gote'turr_ _,_ sweetheart," he whispered, and shook his feet from his boots to sit in bed with her. They ate and chatted, and when they'd disposed of their trash, Torian reached into the small bedside table and fished a wrapped gift from the drawer. He presented it to her, and she laughed.

"The first gift! And it's beautiful," she breathed, gingerly pulling the tape from the deep purple paper. "Shoes!" she cried, and pulled them from the box. "These are perfect, I love them!" She put them on her feet and sighed happily. Her normal boots and shoes were not made for her shifts at the cantina, and she'd planned to buy kitchen clogs, but so far hadn't gotten around to it. She admired the floral design and the washable vinyl, and turned to hug Torian. When she did, he held another, much smaller box. "Oh!" she exclaimed, her hand going to her mouth.

" _Aliit ori'shya taldin_. Family is more than blood. You are my family, Calypso. I want to make you my _riduur_ , my wife. In all cultures, the ring symbolizes commitment. Will you do me the honor of wearing my ring and committing to be my wife?" he asked her, and she felt the tears running down her face. He slowly opened the box and took the sapphire, so beautifully set in it's ornate band, and placed it on her shaking finger. He glanced up at her shining, wet eyes. "You sill have not answered, my love," he told her gently.

He caught her as she threw herself into his arms. "Yes, a million times, yes," she murmured as he drew her close to kiss her.

Miriah met with Lana to do the morning briefing, then they'd both be off for the day. "Haven is doing well, the south settlement is beginning to prepare the ground for planting," Lana said, ending the list of things that had happened overnight. "Missy's check ins are all on schedule. Should have one coming up in a couple of hours."

Miriah nodded. "Things seem on an even keel at the moment." She saw Aric and Maura enter, and grinned.

"We've got everything moved," Maura said. "We even managed to get the rest of Mom's things. It's going to be a good change." Aric stood casually, his arm draped over Maura's shoulders. He had been keeping up with the base through Torian, but the young man was off today, and Logan had taken his spot. Logan's work with the settlements had finished, and now he was working with Aric's security forces troops, filling in where needed. Today, he was monitoring comms traffic and the smuggler port of entry, as Torian had been. Aric touched his relay to acknowledge the info he'd just received, and smiled at his sister in law.

"All ready for the birthday girl?" he asked, and saw Miriah nod.

"Finished the cake last night," she said, and stood. "Now that the briefing is done, we're out of the office for the day."

"Nice," he replied, and pulled Maura to follow. "We can help cook the dinner," he offered, and Miriah laughed.

"I was counting on more hands," she assured them, and they made their way into the apartment, laughing and remembering the times they used to cook outside at the ranch house on Dantooine.

Aric hit his relay again. The troopers he'd sent to Zakuul had arrived home, and he requested a debrief tomorrow. He'd let them be with their families and loved ones today. He laughed at the thought. When did I get to be such a softie, he wondered, and glanced at Corso, who was preparing vegetables. He briefly thought about Missy, and a flash of worry invaded his thoughts. No need to worry, he calmed himself. She's been checking in just as normal. He focused on Corso and his conversation with Miriah and Maura and let the worry go.

Calypso lay on her pillow, her hand held up, admiring the ring on her finger. "It's just perfect," she whispered.

"Then you match," Torian said, his arm around her, his head next to hers. "I wanted you to have it before the party, so everyone can see that you are destined to me." Caly was so choked up with emotion, she could only nod. They spent the morning discussing their plans and hopes, and were interrupted by the incessant chime of her datapad. She leaned over the side of the bed to retrieve the device from where it had fallen on the floor overnight, and grinned. The birthday wishes were coming in from everywhere, it seemed, and it made her feel special.

"We have to get up, I suppose. I don't really know what to do with myself, since I'm not cooking," she admitted, and Torian pulled her from the bed.

"Shower and get ready, then we'll stroll around a bit, maybe go to the hangar and get some sunlight. The day is yours, love." She kissed him and made her way to the shower, shedding clothing as she walked. Torian purposely turned away, afraid his desires would overwhelm his logic, and waited on the small sofa, his heart full.

Miriah and Maura settled on the sofa with popcorn and drinks, the men taking the kitchen over. They offered no complaints. "So how was the mini vacation?" Maura asked.

"Perfect. We both enjoyed the rest and time together," Miriah replied.

"No issues with Corso's health?"

"None. He's been good since the last checkup." Miriah told her. They discussed Colin's wedding, and the kids. When the men joined them, they laughed and told stories. Aric recalled seeing Caly for the first time, and how mad she would get as an infant if Miriah wasn't near. Maura recalled the time that Miriah was frozen in carbonite, and how Caly had held onto Sarai one evening, afraid to even go to the refresher, that her grandmother would be gone when she returned. She had only been five years old when that had occurred, and they had all tried to fill in, but she was her mother's girl and it had been hard.

Miriah thought about those first weeks when she'd returned to the ranch, Caly always by her side. Since then, the young girl had matured into a beautiful young woman, and Miriah revealed that she and Corso had given Torian permission to formally engage their daughter. Aric grinned at that and Maura felt her eyes welling. "They'll make some pretty babies," she said, wiping a tear that escaped.

"They sure will," Miriah agreed, and squeezed Corso's hand. He held her close to him, and felt all the love in the room surrounding him.

Missy regained her hearing first. She could tell she was aboard a ship, and struggled to open her eyes. Wow, that stuff has a kick, she thought. When she could finally squint one eye open, she found herself in a cargo crate. Great, she thought, and brought her hands to her face. At least he didn't use cuffs, she told herself, and immediately found the relay, slipping it into her ear. "I'm caught, being transported," she whispered. "No idea where, but Theron did this." She deactivated the relay, hoping no one was scanning frequencies aboard.

Logan had been sitting in the small office facing the hangar doors. He'd heard all the traffic, but there was nothing to indicate anything abnormal, until he heard the high pitched ping of the emergency frequency. He listened to Missy's message, and immediately asked his uncle to join him. When Aric and his dad walked up, Logan relayed Missy's words to him, and saw their faces grow serious.

Aric thought for a moment. If Missy was being transported, and no one had checked her for weapons or relays, then she didn't seem to be in any danger at the moment. "She deactivated the relay?" he asked, and Logan nodded. "Let's see where she's being taken. She's unhurt, apparently, and can let us know. Keep an ear out, Logan. You'll hand off to Major Quinn?" Logan nodded again, and Aric continued. "Brief him on the message. He'll let me know when Missy contacts us again."

"Got it," Logan acknowledged. Aric and Corso turned to go back to the apartment, and Logan settled in again, the traffic in his ear not nearly as concerning as the thought of Missy. He hoped she was as strong as she had sounded in the message.

"No need to worry Mir just yet," Aric said, and Corso nodded. "Sounds like Missy is just being moved from where she encountered Theron. If he'd wanted to hurt her, she'd be dead."

"Hopefully she'll let us know something. Soon." Aric agreed, but Corso carried the worry into the apartment with him. He smiled at his wife, but she could tell something was troubling him. Before she could ask, Caly burst into the room, all smiles and cheer, and Miriah turned to admiring Caly's ring and hugging Torian.

"It's so pretty, Caly. I know you must be so excited," Maura told her niece.

"I feel like I'm top of the word right now," Caly admitted, and twirled around, bumping into her mother. "Mom, Dad, thank you for letting this happen. I know Torian had to clear it with you, but I'm so grateful to have a plan."

Miriah smiled at her daughter. "I agree, it's always better to have a plan." They hugged and Miriah took the moment to whisper, "You'll have to be stronger than ever, sweetie. I know you're tempted, but take my advice and wait, just a little longer." Caly didn't have to ask what her mom was referring to, and blushed deeply.

"I will, Mom. I hear you," she said, but she smiled and they hugged once more, Miriah feeling her age a bit as she remembered her first time with Corso, the only one that counted in her mind.

Missy had dropped into sleep again when the crate opened and she blinked in the bright light. "What the kark is going on?"she demanded, and stood, coming face to face with a large man who glared at her.

"I was told to keep you quiet," he roared, and promptly hit her in the jaw with the rifle he held. Missy dropped like a stone to the bottom of the crate again, and the man threw in some bottles of water and a ration pack before closing the lid. Missy groaned and rolled over, rubbing her face.

Damn, that hurt, she thought, feeling for any loose teeth. Finding nothing out of place, she pulled a bottle of water to her, drinking deeply. I'm not even sure how long I've been in here, she realized, and fingered the relay, fighting her sudden urge to call for help. When the flight response waned, she sank back on the floor of the crate. Whatever her fate, she'd meet it head on, she told herself.

As best she could figure, it was several hours later when Missy felt the crate being lifted from the ship. She shifted and struggled to stay stable, and when it dropped down on the loading dock, she swore her brain rattled in her head. She was still trying to gain her balance when the lid was thrown open and the same man who'd hit her hauled her up and over the edge. "Go!" was all he had to say, and Missy loped out of the area, putting as much distance between her and the landing pad as she could.

Once she exited the spaceport, Missy sighed with relief. Nar Shaddaa. She'd recognize it anywhere, and slowed her speed to blend in with the foot traffic. At least he hadn't hurt her, well, too badly, she thought, just before a slow grin started over her face. I did find him, she thought, and she had to be at least a little proud of that. She pulled the relay from her pocket to find it crushed, probably when she'd been knocked out with the blow to her face. Sighing, she put the remains in her pocket. I have credits, and I'm not bleeding, she figured, and slowly sipped her tea as she people watched, looking for any familiar face.


	40. Chapter 40

Caly blushed and enjoyed the attention, showing off her ring to the family. Miriah watched as she swayed with Merida, who was not having a good day. Miriah had tried all her tricks, and still the baby fussed, starting to get teeth was painful business. Miriah closed her eyes and felt the rush of force as it raced through her, and Merida stopped her fussing. When Miriah opened her eyes, there was a light of knowing in Merida's, and Miriah smiled at her granddaughter. "That's right, baby girl. You know me." Merida snuggled into Miriah's neck and closed her eyes, content for the first time all afternoon.

Corso watched the party, refilling snack trays and helping Aric with the food. They had enjoyed their afternoon, but both hid their worry. About Missy and what was going on with her. About Caly and her future, especially married to a career military man, as Torian seemed to be. Corso glanced at Miriah's blissful face, her eyes closed as she rocked Merida back and forth, and worried about how thin she looked. Aric nudged him, and they went back into the kitchen. "I'm giving Missy until this evening. If we don't hear anything, we'll start searching the spaceports. With all the pilots doing trade missions, we should hear something." Corso could see how worried Aric was by his inability to stand still.

"She has no use to him dead," Corso said quietly. "If he's even linked her to us. I have faith that Missy is fully capable of getting herself out of trouble."

Aric looked at his friend, seeing the sincerity in his eyes. "You know, you're right. I need to give her credit for her training. I'll try to let it go and see where this all leads."

"You always tell me that worry solves nothing, when I'm in the same boat, worrying about Mir and all the things she gets into." Corso checked the meat they'd grilled outside the military area and wrapped, keeping it warm in the oven. "Let's feed everyone and then we can go check with Quinn, see if he's heard anything." Aric nodded and went to the door to announce the meal was ready. Corso glanced up to see his friend's face, and promised himself he'd do whatever he had to do to get Missy home.

Missy had spent the evening in Club Vertica, one of her favorite spots. She nursed the drink she held, and casually wandered the property, and when she reasonably certain she was clear of any tails, ducked into a private party room. Fortunately, it was not being used, but it did have encrypted holo. She quickly keyed in the frequency and waited. When Aric's face appeared, she felt her fur settle against her skin for the first time since she woke up in the crate. "Missy!" he said, and she could hear a lot of noise in the background. She watched as he hurried into another room. "Where are you? I was so worried..."

"I'm fine," she reassured him. "Just a little banged up. I'm on Nar Shaddaa, but my relay's busted." She held up the mangled device to the holo cam. "Does the Alliance have any ships in this area?"

"We should, but let me pull up the current flights and missions," Aric told her, pulling his datapad from his pocket. He squinted at it for a minute before his face lit up. "We do have a ship landing there tomorrow evening, slated for the loading docks at the far end of the spaceport. Can you stay out of sight until then? I don't want anyone from Theron's gang to spot you until you're safely with our pilot."

"I can, I'll find a room for the night. Everything will be fine," she told him, and she saw his face relax a little. "See you soon, Aric."

"I'm glad you're okay, Missy. I'll meet your flight when you land," he told her, and his words felt warm around her, almost like a hug. The image faded and she sighed, ready for some sleep.

Aric returned to the dining table, and Corso saw the relieved look on his face. "That was Missy, she'll be home in a few days," was all Aric said, but Corso nodded, smiling. At least she wasn't injured, and she did make contact with Theron, so he considered that a success. He turned his attention to his wife and daughter, who were enjoying the meal and the company. When the cake came out and Caly's eyes widened, he finally allowed himself to relax, and pulled Miriah close.

"We were so lucky to find her," he whispered, and Miriah nodded, resting her head on his chest.

Torian laughed and joked with the family, feeling their warmth surround him. When he sat with Caly, the delicious cake melting in his mouth, he allowed himself to think ahead. If he'd been back with the clans, he would have their approval to take things to a physical level with his bride to be. Here, he knew it would be a mistake. In this culture, Caly would have two more years until it would be deemed acceptable to marry, and judging from their recent activities, they wouldn't last until then. He was thinking about just this morning, when Caly had started to undress in front of him, and felt his face flush. They had learned much about each other, but he was determined to avoid intimacy until at least another year had passed, if not their wedding night. That decision seemed to calm his mind, and he felt Caly's hand over his. "I'd love for Mom to make our wedding cake," she told him, and he nodded, smiling. Whatever she wanted, he'd give to her. As long as she was his, he'd do everything in his power to make her happy. He leaned back in the chair and squeezed her hand, already anticipating having her in his arms as they slept.

Miriah knew there were undercurrents to the gathering, but was content to let them swirl around her, for once. She watched Torian with Caly, and could see her daughter's joy. She had seen the exchange between Aric and Corso, and knew she'd find out about that as soon as the party was over. She held James as he slept, and saw Logan and Elara kiss over a bite of cake, which made her happy. Corso took the sleeping child and put him on the sofa, returning to kiss her tenderly. This is a good day, she thought, and leaned against him, his arm around her shoulders.

As the party broke up, everyone having work the next day, Lana lingered behind. She'd felt the emotions in the force, and wanted to know what was going on. Nico was on a run, and was away for several days on this one, and instead of going home alone, she helped clean up and when it was done, sat with Miriah. "I can sense there's something happening," she started, and saw Miriah nod.

"Me, too. Corso, Aric! Come fill us in," she called, and saw the men's sheepish looks as they approached. When the story as they knew it had been told, Miriah was silent, mulling over the information. "So, Missy made contact with Theron, he somehow subdued her and put her in a shipping crate, and now she's on Nar Shaddaa?"

Aric rubbed his neck with one hand. "That's all we know. For now. Nico will land there tomorrow, and she can catch a ride back here. I wanted to keep any info off the holonet for now, so I didn't ask a lot of questions." Miriah nodded at him, and Maura took his hand in hers.

"I'm glad she's safe," Lana offered, and stood. "Does Nico know she's meeting him?"

"I sent an encrypted message to him," Corso replied. "He hasn't answered but I'm sure he'll see it before he lands." Lana hoped so, she'd sent a couple of messages to him, too.

"Then we'll wait until we can debrief her," Lana said. "It was a lovely party, thanks again for having me."

"Don't forget to take some food with you," Corso called out as Lana headed for the door. "I packed you a box in the kitchen." Lana smiled at that.

"Got it, and thanks again." She had enjoyed the meal, and looked forward to having more of it later. She made her way across the war room and courtyard, taking the elevator up to her floor. Once there, she got inside her apartment before her datapad chimed. Nico, she thought, and smiled when she saw it was indeed him. He mentioned some special cargo on his return trip, and she sighed with relief. He knew about waiting for Missy, and she could only hope that the Cathar would be safe until then.

Missy paid for a night at the small inn and took her weary self upstairs. She knew she must look terrible, and when she had stripped and entered the small refresher, she was appalled at her appearance in the mirror. Bruises covered her body, and her jaw still ached, even more so when she ran her fingers over her face. There was only a shower, but she was grateful for it. Once she'd eased some of the sore spots and felt refreshed, she exited and stood between the hot air blowers, her eyes closed. The warmth was welcome, and she almost dozed as she waited for her fur to dry. She reluctantly turned the blowers off and reached to tear open the small bag of clothing she'd purchased on her way over and dress. She eased herself between the clean smelling sheets and was immediately asleep, leaving all the stress of the past few days behind.

Corso woke alone and sat up slowly, and listened to hear any movement in the apartment. Finally he recognized the sounds of someone in the kitchen, and sighed. She's still here, at least. He hurried to rise and throw on some clothes, rushing into the kitchen. Miriah was cooking breakfast, and turned to him, wondering why he was so frantic. He read her thoughts, and blushed. "You're still here," he said softly. Miriah crossed to him and touched his cheek.

"Are you okay? Any heart things going on?" she asked, a sliver of worry in her tone.

"No, no, darlin'. Just didn't want to miss seeing you this morning. I hate taking my good morning kiss in the office." He bent his head and met her lips, offered without reservation. Once they'd greeted each other sufficiently, Miriah turned back to her cooking, and Corso put his arms around her, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Looks delicious," he told her.

"I figured we'd need to fuel up, it will be a long day today." She went on to tell him of her schedule, but he only focused on her nearness, and the fact that he could touch her. Miriah continued to talk until she noticed his face, and stopped with a smile. "I know that look, but that appetite will have to wait," she told him with a chuckle.

"Sometimes, I miss being our own bosses," he told her, taking the plate of steaming food she held out.

"Yeah, me too," she replied, and sat with him. They enjoyed the relative peace, knowing the chaos would begin again soon.

Caly wiped the sweat off her face and glanced down at her new shoes with a grin. These things are simply awesome, she told herself, and took a sip of cold water. The cantina was swamped again, but now she had two assistants who were keeping up with the breakfast orders. She had sampled their creations and could tell no difference from her own, and the thought that she'd invented something made her blood sing happy notes. She had already prepped the lunch special, and now, as the crowds started to thin, she made her way to sit with Torian, who was talking over his ever-present relay. He looked up as she approached, but smiled. When he was finished with his report, he brought their joined hands up to his lips. "How's the morning going?" he asked gently. She related a few things, but honestly, she didn't have much to tell him, it had all gone so smoothly. He opened his mouth to respond, but his relay chirruped again, and she fell silent. It became apparent that he would be tied up, so she rose and waved as she made her way into the kitchen again. Some days it's just like that, she told herself, and turned to the dishwasher to make sure they were all ready for lunch.

Torian watched Caly go, and turned his attention to the voice coming over the relay. "Mandalore, I don't understand. You want me to go to the Commander and tell her that she was rescued on Zakuul by one of the clans, but no other details?"

"That's exactly what you tell her," Shae Vizla responded. "She'll know, in time, who it was who put her on a safe path home, but it's not important right now. Aric Jorgan will need to leave this matter alone." Torian felt his heart sink. He surely did not want to give that information to Major Jorgan, no matter the circumstances. "And congratulations! I believe you may have won the prize of your life, Cadera." That made Torian smile a little.

"I am certain of it," he told Mandalore, and then she was gone. His mood sank at the thought of talking to Aric, but he felt certain it wouldn't be held against him. He looked up to see the very man, heading his way. Might as well get it over with, he decided.

Aric approached Torian and saw that the young man was agitated. "Torian, how's things going today?" he asked, and sat down across from him.

"I just got a call from Mandalore." Torian's face contorted for a moment, then settled. "She wanted me to tell you that the Commander will have to wait to find out which of our clans is on Zakuul."

Aric thought about this. If Shae Vizla wanted to keep that information to herself, then it was a very clandestine operation that would be on a need to know basis. Is it one that would harm us, he considered. Probably not, since they sent Miriah safely home. Is it against the same group as Theron? Maybe, but it didn't matter to him who caught the bastard, as long as he was caught. When he'd figured that out, he looked at Torian, who had the appearance of wanting to be anywhere but here. "Okay, then," he said with a nod, and Torian sat back, taking a deep breath. Aric laughed to himself, thinking it was nice to know he could still be intimidating.

Missy had eaten in her room and stuffed her nasty clothes into the canvas bag she'd purchased. She had several hours until she needed to be at the spaceport, but didn't feel comfortable being in one spot so long, so she hitched the bag onto her shoulder and set out. Six hours. I can stay inconspicuous that long. She gently closed the door and made her way out into the artificially illuminated streets, feeling that she was close to being safe again, on Odessen.


	41. Chapter 41

Corso watched his wife carefully. She stood in the overly bright sunlight, the snow mostly melted but the wind holding enough bite that she wore her long, heavy coat and her hands were stuffed into her pockets, where he knew two tiny heat packs worked overtime to try and keep her hands warm. He could almost hear her teeth chattering, although he was some distance from her. He couldn't see her eyes from the protective, darkened glasses that covered them, but he'd bet they were watering with the wind. She was out in the open, and Aric was beside himself. She shivered then, and he clicked the relay in his ear. "Mir?"

"I'm here, sugar. What's up?" Miriah looked around but didn't spot him, up on the nearby roof with a sniper rifle in his hands.

"Is this our channel? Or the public channel?" he asked, looked through the scope to see her smile.

"It's just us," she said, her voice dropped into a low tone with a hint of giggle.

Yeah, that's the one I like, he thought. "You look beautiful, but I bet you're freezing, am I right?"

"I am, but this should be over soon," she said, trying to reassure him that she'd be out of the relative danger of being on a podium within the next fifteen minutes. They were at Haven, and the tour had ended just before her address was to start. Apparently there was some issue with the sound, and the techs were working on it, but Miriah thought her eyelashes would freeze her eyes shut before then. The wind caught her hair and she turned her head.

"I love the way your hair always moves," he told her, his own timbre a low growl in her ear. "I loved it short, but baby, that long, black hair is exquisite. The way it glides through my fingers, and over my body makes me insane." He could see her blush now, and kept going. "I'm cold, too, but thinking about you is keeping me warm."

"Oh?" was all Miriah could squeak out, and he knew she was focused on his voice.

"Yeah, I'm thinking about last night, and how you looked, water running over your skin as you stood from your soak, your eyes closed and the towel. I envied the towel, darlin', it was touching you at that point and I wasn't." He stopped to peer around the area, but nothing had changed. "I had to remedy that, pronto. Remember the next part?" he asked, a deep sigh moving through him.

"Oh yes, I do," she replied softly, her heart rate and breathing increasing with her memories.

"I..." Corso was interrupted by Aric, who was giving him a strange look.

"What are you doing?" he asked, and saw Corso grin despite his blush.

"Well, she's not thinking about how cold she is now, is she?" Aric rolled his eyes but couldn't suppress the chuckle.

"We should be out of here already," he finally said, and Corso nodded. He'd be glad to get Mir back with her detail. They both turned at the loud squawk from the speaker.

Miriah felt her face flame with Corso's words, but he was right. She definitely wasn't worried about freezing now. She stepped up to the microphone and told the citizens of Haven how proud she was that they'd worked together and built something they could be very proud of. She accepted the beautiful bouquet that was presented to her by a dark haired little boy, and she was touched by his smile. She stood and made her way to where Lana was barking instructions into her own relay. "Everything okay, Lana?"

Lana's frown made Miriah stop. "We just need to get going. This lasted longer than I had planned and now we have a coverage gap." They had halted all air and speeder traffic around Haven, and had cleared all the non military ships from orbit for this, and Miriah knew there were hundreds of people demanding they resume. She put her gloved hand on Lana's arm.

"Let's just get on the road. We can deal with all this without being icicles." Lana smiled then, and nodded. They walked over to where their transport was waiting, and with a last handshake of the mayor, Miriah was ensconced in warm air being blown through the passenger area. She felt her face tingle as the blood rushed to the skin, and waited a few minuted to loosen her coat and remove her gloves. She was holding her hands over one of the air vents when Corso came into the vehicle, and she gave him a glance that had his own blood heating. "Are we ready to get going?" she asked, and saw Aric and Maura closing the door.

"I believe so," he answered, and sat beside her. He saw Lana sitting across from Miriah, and figured they were planning on working on the trip back. They had a little over an hour's ride back to the base, and he stretched out, slowly warming up. Aric sat beside him.

"Nothing from Missy this morning, and I'm getting worried," Aric admitted, accepting the hot caf from Maura's outstretched hands gratefully.

"Nico will be there soon," Corso said, his eyes closed. "If he doesn't see her, then I'd worry."

"You're right," Aric agreed, and they settled in for the ride. She'd better be okay, Aric thought, or there will be a very large score to settle. He distracted himself with his wife on his other side, hearing the soft snore coming from Corso as the vehicle's motion made him sleepy as well.

Missy had gotten some food from a kiosk and now made her way to a secluded corner, her back to the wall. All she had to do was stay off the radar for another few hours now, she thought, and wished she'd just stayed in her room. She wasn't afraid as much as she was annoyed. She'd wanted, so much, to have Theron trust her, bring her into the gang and allow her to be instrumental in his capture. She sighed, and bit into the bagel. She glanced up and saw the camera with the Black Suns logo on the side and almost laughed. So obvious, she mused, and when she'd finished her breakfast, stood and all but disappeared into the shadows, making her way slowly across the garish Promenade. She had to find a way to get to the spaceport without being in a taxi. A taxi would make her vulnerable, she thought, and saw a few party barges float past. She smiled and waved at the captain, who whistled and smiled back, guiding the barge close to the landing. "You must be the new talent," he said. "Wezil said he had someone, but didn't say how attractive you were." Missy thought for a second.

"Dancer. Yeah, that's me," she said, taking the large hand that was offered to her. Once aboard, she made her way to the center, already swaying to the pounding beat coming from the large speakers. I can so do this, she thought, and grinned. At this rate, she figured the barge would be near the spaceport in about two hours, and she'd get off. Somehow.

Miriah stepped off the transport's step and was instantly surrounded. She hated to admit it, but she felt some security there, and sighed softly. Always aware, Corso put his arm around her and pulled her close, refreshed from his nap. "What's wrong, darlin'?" he asked softly, bending to look at her face.

"I was lamenting the fact that I've grown accustomed to the detail," she admitted, and shrugged. "It was nice to be outside, even though it was not an ideal day."

Corso laughed. "What's up for the rest of the day?"

"We're going to have lunch, all of us, in the conference room, and wait for word from Nico. Once we're sure Missy is safe, I thought we might go have dinner at the cantina. Caly is cooking dinner the next two weeks," she told him, moving to the conference room. They were surprised to see Caly there, not realizing that Lana had hired her to cater their lunch. After some hugs and laughter, they settled in to wait. When an hour had passed without any comms, a sudden static burst forth and Nico's image wavered on the table top before steadying.

"Wow, a party? For me?" he asked, a cocky grin on his face.

"Just wondering if you've had any sightings," Lana replied with a smirk.

"Nothing yet. We've just entered final approach, figured it was less risk to connect now than on the pad."

"Good thinking," Aric told him. "She's aware, and will make her way to you. Shouldn't have to be in port long, but if she hasn't shown in the next two hours, call us encrypted. We can receive it here."

Miriah raised an eyebrow at Aric. "Upgrades?" she asked, getting a nod as Nico's image winked out. She stood and stretched, and made her way to the small refresher off the main room at the back. She hoped Missy would make the arranged meet up, or else Aric will be a mess. She took her time, and when she returned, sat next to Corso. "I feel decadent," she said, "having lunch brought to me and now just sitting. We got our daily list finished on the transport." She saw Lana typing on her datapad, and the silly expression on her face. "Somebody missed our pilot, I think."

Corso looked over at Lana then. "Glad she's had someone to bring her out of herself a little," he said softly, then bending to kiss his wife.

Aric had spent the last twenty four hours worrying, and now that it seemed it was almost done, he couldn't relax. He realized, sitting there with Maura's hand in his, that he hadn't even thought of the message Shae Vizla had related through Torian, or how irritated it had made him to hear it. He'd let go of the stress of daily security, leaving much of that to Logan and focusing on Miriah. He should be making things up to Maura, who had borne the brunt of his moodiness the past few days, but here he sat, almost frantic over Missy and his decision to push the mission forward. He almost stood to pace, but Maura pulled him down again. "She's a smart woman, she's fine," she told him, reading his mind. He didn't answer, just grunted and pulled her against him, thankful that she understood him so well.

Missy ran to the front of the barge, hoping to hop off unnoticed. She was on the ledge when she heard a shout, and ran toward the nearby crates. No one followed her, and she crouched in the shadows for almost half an hour. She glanced at the small chrono she carried, one she'd lifted from one of the party barge's patrons, and saw she needed to move toward the far landing pads. Missy had moved steadily but had stopped several times, listening. She thought she heard something, but she couldn't pinpoint it. Finally the correct dock was in sight, and she could see several crewmen with Alliance patches on their jackets, and felt the relief flood through her. She stood and had taken several steps toward the ship when a grappling hook caught her and she was flying through the air, landing with a grunt at the feet of a tall Mandalorian female, who now covered Missy's mouth with her hand.

"Do not talk, look," she said, and pointed with the other arm. Below, Missy could see a ragtag group of armed men, advancing on the ship. "They meant to flush you out. I could not let them endanger a citizen of the Alliance." Missy looked at the red and cream skinned Zabrak and was struck mute, unable to voice her thanks or fears. "Stay here," she commanded, and using a jetpack, met a man in the center of the group, and together they made short work of the would-be marauders. When it was safe to come down, Missy was again caught with a grappling hook and deposited on the floor, this time on her feet. The woman spoke again. "Tell the Commander that she has a long time friend looking out for Shan. I will find him and make him pay his debt." With that, the couple was gone, and dumbstruck, Missy started to where Nico looked out at the area of the fight.

Miriah walked around the room. I hate to wait, she thought, but it's better than being cold. She grinned to herself at remembering Corso's words, and her eyes sought him. He met her gaze, and saw the heat there, answering with his own, both knowing they had hours to go before they could indulge themselves. They were lost in their silent communication, able to convey feelings and thoughts with a simple glance, when the holo flared to life again, and Missy stood with Nico this time.

"Missy!" Aric said, the relief in his voice making everyone smile. "I am so glad you're safe."

"It's been a crazy few days, but I'm just fine."

"We're cleared for take off and lifting off in three minutes. Should be on Odessen in about forty seven standard hours." Lana nodded at Nico, and the holo went dead, leaving the room in a blissful state of relaxation.

Missy buckled in for the take off, and felt invisible to the well seasoned crew, who went about logging inventory and shifting the crates for easier distribution once on Odessen. Finally she stood and found Nico.

"Oh, hey, sorry. I forgot to tell you. You have the small quarters just down the hallway from the galley, and there's some things I picked up for you in there." He smiled at her, but his mind was elsewhere. She nodded at him.

"Sounds perfect. I'll go get settled. Anything I can do, please tell me. I'm not afraid to work," she told him, and held out her hand to shake. Nico took it and pressed it between his.

"Glad you made it to us. I think Aric would have sent the Fleet to disintegrate Nar Shaddaa if you hadn't," he grinned, and Missy blushed. It felt good to be missed, she thought, as she made her way down the narrow hallway, anxious to be on Odessen again and tell what she knew.


	42. Chapter 42

Missy woke and sat up, the engines of the ship vibrating her muscles. She'd been in and out of sleep, and now wondered how she'd ever managed this for weeks on end to get to Odessen. When she felt awake enough, she stood and made her way down the short hall and into the galley, filling a mug with hot caf before sitting down in one of the booth style areas, closing her eyes and resting her head on the cushion behind her head. She was startled when she heard Nico's voice as he sat across from her. "I know it's not a luxury ship," he said softly. "At least it's not being fired on."

Missy grinned at her new friend. "Indeed, it is not. That's always good." They sat in silence, drinking caf, until Nico stood.

"Take whatever you want from the larder, should be something better than ration bars. We are about halfway home."

"Thank you for the ride," she said, and he just grinned at her. She stood and made her way to the cabinet and found some packaged fish and rice, and quickly heated it. She had no idea they'd been traveling as long as they had, and she was famished. When her tummy was full, she went into the lounge area, sitting on the periphery as the crew watched a holo vid and laughed. A plate of warm cookies was passed around, and they handed it to her as if she were one of them, and it made her pause in her thinking. She let the chocolate and sugar melt in her mouth as she worked it out. She was one of them, because she was with the Alliance. It brought back memories of being a part of the SIS and how she had loved being accepted, even if no one knew who she was. She sat back and smiled, relaxed. I hate that I failed to capture Theron, but I know that I did all I could.

Miriah had felt great since her foray to Haven. She had been humming and joking with everyone, and Corso had noticed her eating a little more. He loved knowing she was happy, and sleeping well. Even Sarai commented to him how great she looked. She sat at her desk, working on reading through reports from the planets in the Alliance when Lana came in, her datapad in her hand. "Ah, the list. I wondered where that was today," she said wryly, and Lana laughed.

"C'mon, you know you love it. I'll start with the daily brief, shall I?" At Miriah's nod, Lana launched into the numbers of patients in the medcenter in the past twenty four hours, the high points of anything seen or reported by the constant patrols, the progress on the ships in the building phase. When Lana looked up, Miriah raised her eyebrow at her friend.

"No Saresh report?" she asked, and looked incredulous.

"She's been quietly doing as asked, for weeks now. I figure no news is good news, but I did ask after her this morning." They fell silent, thinking of the events that led to the former Supreme Chancellor of the Republic's imprisonment. Finally, Miriah sighed.

"Let's hope she's resigned herself to her fate," she said, and stood. "We're going to lunch, come eat with us." Corso stood, putting his terminal in sleep mode. Lana followed them, and when they saw Aric and Maura, pulled them along as well. The apartment was quiet, which meant that Caly was sleeping late. Good, Miriah thought. She's pushing herself too hard, as usual. That thought made her laugh to herself. Wonder where she learned that? They all worked together and put food on the table, and sat to enjoy. They'd only just started when Aric's holo chimed, and he stood to pull it out of a pocket. They saw Missy as she materialized on the small device.

"Hello, everyone. Nico asked me to let you know that.." the transmission went dead, and they all just stared at it, not knowing what to think. Aric retried the frequency, but there was no response.

Missy had just seen Aric's smile when the main power to the ship failed, and she was plunged into blackness. She remained still as a rock, unsure what was happening. She felt like she had been standing there for hours when she heard Nico's voice, and the clicking on of emergency lighting. "We just had a system failure, a bad motivator switch," she heard him say. "Nothing major. We're looking for replacement parts now." Missy swallowed her momentary panic and let her eyes adjust to the green cast of the lights as she watched Nico take out his datapad and send a message to Odessen. "I let them know we'll be delayed. If we can't scrounge up a spare part, we'll have to send a shuttle to the nearest orbital station." Nico sighed, and Missy saw his frustration.

"But we're safe here, right?" Missy asked, and saw Nico's shoulders relax.

"We are. We're in Alliance space, and I'm sure that Admiral Aygo has already scrambled the nearest fighter squadron for escort." Missy hadn't thought about that, and it did make her feel better, especially since the episode in the hangar.

Back on Odessen, a collective sigh of relief was heard when Lana received Nico's message. "I'm sure they'll be fixed and on the way shortly," she said, putting the datapad away, seemingly calm. Aric looked stunned still, but Maura encouraged him to eat, and he slowly regained his normal affect. Miriah looked thoughtful, and when they'd gotten up to go back to the offices, she pulled Lana aside.

"Do we need to send supplies, engineers? What do you think?" she asked, and Lana frowned.

"The admiral has already sent a fighter escort from Prath, just for precaution, but I'll see if I can find out about the repairs." Already her fingers flew over the device in her hand, and they waited for a response. As they waited, Miriah felt her anxiety build, but finally the answer came. "Nico says they think they have a temporary repair in place, and will dock with Prath's orbital station to complete the repair. It should delay them, but they are safe and will be back in flight soon. He thinks it should take only a few minutes to repair the power relay once they have the proper part."

Miriah felt her whole body relax. "Okay, then they'll just be home a little later. Let's have Hylo send out a list of required spare parts for all our ships, asap." She turned to see Corso waiting for her, and sent him a smile. "Keep me posted."

"Absolutely," Lana replied, and headed for her own office. Once there, she rubbed her temples. I shouldn't care so much. I told myself I wouldn't, and now here I am. She closed her eyes and pulled on the force, feeling the calm infuse her and let her focus again. I'll deal with the rest at home, she decided, but in her mind she saw Nico's smile.

Caly had gotten to sleep in the small hours of the morning, since she was working the evening shift this week. Torian had noticed that since she'd been working, she slept better and without all the restlessness she'd had before. He'd been awake for awhile, but was content just holding her, and when her whiskey colored eyes opened, she smiled. "Morning," she said softly, and he kissed her. Often when they woke, they would talk. About their past, or their future. Today, Caly turned on her side and looked pensively at him. "Why, do you think, people make such an issue of age when it comes to love and marriage?"

Torian thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I've been meaning to talk to you about this, actually. I think there's been a misunderstanding about the difference in our ages." He looked uncomfortable, she thought, and sat up to look into his eyes.

"I'm perfectly fine with the difference," she told him. "I know you have more life experience, that you've had lovers. I'm also okay with not having as much, and I trust you, Torian, more than I trust myself sometimes." He still looked troubled, and she waited patiently for him to speak.

"My father was a traitor to Mandalore," he started, his voice soft and filled with the emotion of a young boy who was suddenly not only abandoned by his one remaining parent, but outcast by his clan. "I grew up on the sidelines, eating only after everyone else had their fill, being included only if I would have been left behind. Wearing the mantle of disrespect and disgrace. I knew that the only way I could change things was to become a warrior. When I was twelve, I presented myself to the war council, and proved myself able to join in hunts." He stopped and Caly took his hand, feeling his squeeze hers.

"You were twelve, you weren't old enough," she said, remembering another time when he'd told her that a young man had to be the same age she was now to fight.

"I lied. To my clan chief, to my group leader. To Mandalore." He dropped his gaze in embarrassment. "In truth, today I am nineteen years old, by standard years. I have done many things in my life, it is true, but..."

"Today? Today is your birthday?" Caly asked, taking his face in her hands and lifting his head to look into his eyes.

"It is. I am sorry, Calypso, that I didn't tell you before. I have spent so many years under this lie, but never have I regretted it. Now, it seems better that we are actually closer in age than everyone thinks. I never told anyone about my age here, but if anyone thought to look at my official records for the Alliance, they would see this. I had to grow up fast, and when I joined the Commander on Darvannis, I didn't want my leadership or my loyalty to be dependent on my age or my lineage. It made no difference here, until I found you." He was caught in her hug and heard her laugh, muffled by his chest.

"You did tell my dad you were nineteen once," she said, but she was smiling.

"I did," he sighed. "I was seventeen at that time," he replied, "and afraid that I'd lose my position here if I confessed. My documents in Central Records are correct." He held her tightly against him, and wondered if he'd made an error in not correcting the perceptions. His abilities as a warrior and military officer didn't depend on how many years he had lived, he reasoned. Still, he knew this culture held a priority on youth. Now, he sighed, and figured he'd live with the fallout. It was worth it, if it made the Commander and her family more comfortable with their relationship.

Miriah had stood to stretch when she saw Corso with his eyes closed. She studied him carefully, wondering if he was feeling okay, noticing the gentle rise and fall of his chest, and his relaxed posture. Napping, she told herself, and glanced at the chrono. No wonder, she told herself, it's getting late. She was crossing to wake him when she got a message from Caly, asking them to meet her during her break to celebrate Torian's birthday. I never knew, she thought, and felt guilty for not keeping better tabs on her future family. I have time to put together a small cake, she thought, if I hurry. She bent to kiss Corso's forehead, and was rewarded with the flutter of his eyelids opening. She explained Caly's news and they made their way to the apartment and straight to the kitchen.

Missy had stayed on the ship while the repairs had been going on, and now that they were underway again, she was having trouble relaxing. Nico had assured her that everything was fine, but the thought of how extensive the measures Theron had gone to take her away from Zakuul had her looking over her shoulder at everything now. She sat in the lounge and found herself thinking through the past few weeks. She knew that she had handled talking to Aric badly, and now this. What if she was what her mother had always lamented, a mistake? She tried to shake herself out of the negative thoughts, but they sneaked back into her mind. How would she ever live down the shame if Aric and the Commander were disappointed in her? She stood and was pacing in the lounge area when Nico stopped her, handing her a shot glass.

"Here, this will help," he told her, motioning her to drink. "It's been quite a week for you, and I understand. Sometimes we all need a little liquid courage to just get through." Missy nodded and felt the burn of the alcohol as it warmed her from inside. Nico just watched her and when she handed the glass back to him, he refilled it and gave it back.

"I'm not sure if I need another," she told him. "Not used to this stuff."

Nico laughed. "If you continue to work Intelligence for the Alliance, you need to get used to it. It's not an easy job, and I hear that you at least laid eyes on our target. That's more than anyone else has been able to do, and on Zakuul, no less." He poured his own shot and clinked the glass with hers. "I'd say you did a terrific job." They downed the shots together, and Missy smiled.

"Do you really think so?" she asked, suddenly shy.

"I do," Nico confirmed. He took the glasses back to the galley and headed back to the bridge, but Missy had remained standing in the lounge. She took a deep breath and made her way to her bunk, feeling more relaxed and calm. Once lying down, she fell into a deep sleep, and dreamed of her new apartment on Odessen. Home.


	43. Chapter 43

Miriah watched the ship as it descended, the wind it caused whipping around her and making her squint her eyes. Corso had gone to visit with Felix and Mags, and Miriah understood the need for something different to do, but she missed him anyway. Aric stood a little apart, and she watched him now as he turned sideways to avoid the dirt and bits of debris that swirled around them. Maura had the sense to stand behind the barrier, but Miriah knew she couldn't wait. In a few minutes, she'd get to talk to the only person to actually have been in the room with Theron Shan. She'd been anxiously awaiting this debrief, and now she bounced on her toes, waiting on the air lock to cycle. When it did, and a sled of cargo made the first exit, she sighed. Of course. The hold would be emptied first. Instead of getting irritable, she folded her arms over her chest and sighed.

Aric saw what was happening and had even experienced the same anticipation as Miriah. Now, though, he just wanted to see Missy, whole and alive. They'd learn everything she knew about Theron shortly, but for now, he'd take just being able to see her again. Maura came to his side, and he pulled her against him. "Hmm," he said, his lips on her ear. "I hate that I missed continuing our mission this morning," he said, and Maura grinned.

"You were the one who needed food," she teased, and gasped as he gently bit her neck before soothing it with his tongue.

"I needed food then. Now, I need you," he growled. Maura had difficulty pulling away, their attraction stronger than ever.

"Your sister is almost home, and your mind is there?" she said, and he dropped his head, keeping the smile on his face.

"You're right," he said. "I'll behave. At least for a little while." Maura saw his huge smile then, and turned to see Missy strolling down the ramp.

Wow, Missy thought. I didn't expect the Commander to be waiting here. She straightened her back and walked toward where her welcoming committee waited, her mouth suddenly dry and her fur slightly raised. When Aric hugged her, he sensed her anxiety. "We all just want to know what happened," he said softly, releasing her. She nodded and smiled, then turned to Miriah.

"Welcome home," Miriah said, taking Missy's hand in hers. "I'm so glad you weren't hurt."

"No, no. I'm fine," Missy said, but she felt her fur settle and her heart rate calm.

"Let's go into the conference room," Maura said, never comfortable with Miriah being out in the open. She'd already considered the possibilities of a sniper, but knew the foot patrols had cleared the wooded knoll across from the open hangar door. Now, she herded the small knot toward the middle of the secure area. Better safe than sorry, she figured, and saw Aric bring up the rear as the detail surrounded them, their armor clanking softly.

Corso sipped his caf and turned surprised eyes to Mags. "This is decaf?" he asked, incredulous.

"Half regular, half decaf. You get less that way, but the flavor is the same," Mags explained. "How are things?"

Corso nodded. "I'm great, back to my full workout. Mir is eating better, but she still doesn't sleep as well as she did before Theron." Just saying his name made him angry, but he took a deep breath and refocused on his sister in law. "I'm afraid she won't ever, or at least not until he's in the brig."

Felix pushed a plate of brightly colored cookies toward him. "I'm sure she wants him there more than most, but I thought there might be some question about his motives, or his reasoning. Didn't Lana and Aric think he might be working with this group but not against the Alliance?"

Corso snorted. "He could have done that without the droid that very nearly cost Mir her life, or the shot he fired at her on Umbara, that Lana intercepted. Nope. If I see him, he's dead. I don't care what his reasoning is."

Magdalane felt Corso's words as truth, and nodded slowly. "I can see your side, Corso. But I always think, what if? What if he undertook this mission to ultimately keep Mir safe from this group, and things got out of hand?"

Corso thought for a moment, but then shook his head. "He might not have had anything personally to do with all the things that happened, but he knew of them. He could have warned someone, and he had to have given codes for landing or shipping the droid. He didn't have to shoot at Mir on Umbara, but he did. I can't reconcile his actions with that."

"Maybe so," Felix replied softly. "I only hope he's in custody soon." Me, too, Mags thought. Me, too.

"He had you shipped to Nar Shaddaa?" Miriah asked, unable to keep her face straight.

"Yes," Missy confirmed, nodding. "I know, it's crazy, but that's what happened." She rubbed her jaw as the image of the rifle butt coming toward her surfaced, but she shook it away. "I also met an old friend of yours, she kept me from being jumped on the way into the hangar. A Zabrak Mandalorian. She is a long time friend of yours, and said to tell you that she's looking for Theron. She protected me, because she knew I was with the Alliance." Missy saw the shock cover Miriah's face, and almost took a step toward her when the Commander sat heavily in the nearest chair.

"Akaavi! It has to be Akaavi!" Miriah turned her shining eyes to Aric. "Her clan has to be the one on Zakuul!"

Aric nodded slowly. "You may be right. That would make sense. Either Akaavi or Cy could have taken you to your ship that day." He turned to Missy. "Are you okay? Need to be checked out at the med center?"

"No, I'm perfectly fine. Just a little tired," Missy admitted.

"Go home, rest. We'll figure out our next move shortly," Miriah said, standing. "Thank you for putting yourself in danger, Missy."

"I am willing to do whatever you need, Commander. I'd like to join the Intelligence community here, with your permission." Missy hadn't planned on asking right now, but she couldn't stop the words from tumbling out.

"I'm sure there's a place for you," Miriah responded and shook Missy's hand again, watching Aric escort her out of the room. Maura sighed then, and Miriah turned her eyes to her sister.

"He'll try to talk her out of it, but she wants a job, a purpose. I hope she'll stand up to him," Maura said.

"She just might," Miriah said, and they made their way out and to the offices.

Caly was waiting for her mother as they came down the hallway, and looked tired, Miriah thought. When they were near enough, she saw Caly smile, and motioned her into the office. "Hey, sweetie. I figured you'd still be asleep," Miriah said, and Caly nodded.

"I wanted to see you, to say thank you for the cake last night. It was really pretty, and it touched us both." Caly waited until her mom was sitting. "Mom, did you look at Torian's official file?"

"No, hon. Should I?" Miriah hit a key on the pad of her terminal and the cooling system hummed to life as the screen light came on.

"You heard what he said, about this being his nineteenth birthday, right? So he is a lot closer to my age than you and Dad thought." Caly fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, and watched her mother's face carefully.

"Torian is a good man and the right one, I think, for you. It doesn't really matter his age, we've already accepted him as family. Unless you've changed your mind about marrying him?"

"No! No, I just meant, I mean, I thought..." Caly stammered until Miriah stood and hugged her daughter tightly.

"I know, he made it seem like he was older, but when we left last night, your dad didn't remember for sure that Torian had ever said his actual age." Miriah's voice was quiet, and Caly knew that her mother had grasped the situation. She pulled back to look into Caly's eyes. "You still need to be a little older before your father can live with the fact that you're a grown woman now."

Caly felt her eyes tear up. "I know how Dad feels. I sometimes wonder how so much time passed so quickly. I remember when you were gone and he would tell me stories. I always thought, if only I could find someone who loved me like Dad loves you, then I'd be one of the luckiest people in the world." Miriah smiled at her, and Caly saw the love shining in her eyes. "I love you, Mom."

"Love you, too, sweetie. So much." They hugged again and Caly waved as she made her way out, her burden lifted and her heart light.

Missy had picked up some food and now opened the door to her apartment. The happy feeling she had anticipated was better than she thought, and she sat down in front of the holo to eat, bringing up the news feed. The sandwich was hot and tasty, and the drone of the news reader had her blinking to stay awake. She stretched out on the sofa and seconds later, sleep took her. The dreams she had were myriad and disjointed, and when she woke after only an hour, she felt like she'd missed something, somewhere. She tried to recall the exact things that had been said, and the people she'd seen. She'd told the Commander everything, she told herself, and stood, taking her leftover food to the kitchen. At least the Commander was happy to have news of her friend. Missy decided she'd take a walk, and went into her bedroom, but stopped short at the devastation she saw there. Clothes were thrown everywhere, her mattress torn apart, stuffing littering the floor. She bit back a shriek and instead, backed slowly out of the room, reaching for her personal holo on the counter.

Torian watched Caly as she got ready for her shift. She's so beautiful and I love her, he thought. She must have felt his eyes on her and turned, smiling. She crossed to him and he took her in his arms, closing his eyes and feeling her relax into him. "What's wrong?" she asked, and he felt his body respond to her nearness, her skin on his.

"Nothing wrong. Everything right," he said, his voice gruff with wanting her. He gently pushed her away, and took a deep breath.

"I know," she said. "I think it's silly, all this waiting. Even if we aren't married, we should be able to enjoy each other," she purred, and the sensual tone of her voice almost pushed him to his limit.

"Caly, I made a pledge to myself, two years ago. I wanted to keep you pure until we were wed, but honey, this is really hard." He sat and put his elbows on his knees, holding his head in his hands.

"So, let's not wait," she urged him, but he held up his hands to stop her.

"No, Caly. We have to. I don't take my pledges lightly," he told her, but his voice held the yearning she felt every time they touched.

"I also don't want to lose you just because you don't think we should be intimate with each other," she said, and felt the truth of her words. She did worry that he'd grow tired of waiting and wander, and that would surely kill her. She felt the pull of wanting him as much as he felt it, but she felt like she didn't really understand her response. I need to talk to Mia again, she decided, watching as her statement sunk in.

"Oh, sweetheart, that's not going to happen. I promise you, I will never have anyone else, ever." He stood to kiss her, and even that ran hotter than they had both intended. When she could speak again, Caly didn't know what to say. Instead, when Torian took her hand, she followed him to the cantina, where she knew he would sit until she was done, ever vigilant. As she pulled away, he tugged her hand and she spun into his embrace, where he kissed her deeply. Something he'd never done in public before. "I'll be right here. Forever." She touched his lips with her finger, and turned to get to work, her feet just slightly floating above the floor.

Aric ran up the stairwell, not wanting to wait another second for the elevator and burst into the apartment. Missy sat on the sofa while the forensic team worked in her bedroom. He saw that she was shaken and sat beside her, his arm around her shoulders. "I have another spot for you, with a biometric lock being installed as we speak," he told her. "New bed should be there soon."

"I just don't know what this was about," she said, genuinely confused. "I never told anyone where I was going, and no one has access here except you."

"I know it must have been a shock, but c'mon. Let's get you settled again. You packed all your things except what was in there?" At Missy's nod, he picked up the box she had gathered and led her from the apartment. When they approached the sentries at the secure area entrance, Missy turned to him.

"Where am I going?" she asked, and Aric merely shook his head, letting the sentry inspect the box before being waved through. Missy followed silently, and as they neared the smuggler hangars, she suddenly understood. They went through the door that troopers were working on, and Aric sat the box down on the counter.

"You now have secure area ID, your fingerprint will clear you, but the Commander has requested that you remain inside this area unless unavoidable. You've been targeted by Theron's group, and none of us want you to risk being taken again or worse." Then he grinned. "Maura and I are just a floor up, so no reason to be a stranger."

Aric left Missy in the new apartment and met Corso and Miriah at the cantina. "Doesn't seem to be anything in particular missing or damaged, other than the clothing Maura had sent to her, just a warning," he said, and saw Corso nod.

"She's okay, and home. That's the most important part," Miriah said, her hand on Aric's arm. "Maura coming?" Aric nodded, and they took a booth and asked Torian to join them. They laughed and talked, and when Corso pulled Miriah from the seat, he felt the good mood they'd had surround them. He was glad, he wanted his wife's undivided attention. That thought had him walking quickly, and Miriah giggled at him. They were almost to the door when the detail stopped short, and Miriah almost ran into them.

Ahead, Miriah could see Lana's blonde hair, a bright contrast against the black armor of her troopers. They parted, and Lana made her way to her boss's side. "They found this in the debris of Missy's bedroom," she said, and held out a data spike. One she desperately wanted to look at, but knew it would be better if they all saw it together.

With a sigh, Corso turned back toward the cantina. "I'll get Aric and Maura," he called over his shoulder, his plans for the evening shot. Aric turned at his whistle and they met in the family room. When they finished watching the short video recording, Miriah stood.

"Get the _Dreamweaver_ ready. We're going to Zakuul."


	44. Chapter 44

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hang on a minute, Spitfire!" Aric's voice rose above the general confused conversation. Miriah was visibly shaking with anger, and Aric knew he had to control everyone's fear and knee jerk reactions. "Yes, it appeared Theron was standing in Missy's bedroom, but let us at least examine the images, see if it was real or doctored." Miriah swung her gaze to him, and he could almost see the gears grinding in her mind. Slowly, she worked around to the conclusion he sought, and finally nodded at him.

"Okay. You have twenty-four standard hours, then I'm going to Zakuul, by myself again if I have to. I'll kill him with my own two hands, but make no mistake. He's dead, he just doesn't know it yet." Miriah stalked from the room, Corso following. Aric didn't envy his friend, he had his hands full of very angry female right now. He took a deep breath and let it out before looking to Lana.

"I'm on it," she said, pulling the data spike from the holo and hurrying to the door. Aric knew it was in good hands, the expression on Lana's face when she saw her ex husband apparently on Odessen was one of pure animosity. Maura closed the distance to him, and he took her in his arms.

"At lease Missy is in the secure area now," she said softly, and he nodded.

"I'm not telling her of this, not just yet," he said, and Maura agreed. No need to have Missy more spooked than she already seemed to be, especially after her run in with the traitor himself.

Lana hurried out to the war room and pull Raina Temple aside. "Raina, I need you to come with me, and choose someone who has experience with authentication."

Raina was surprised, but managed to hide it from the tall Sith. "Major Quinn, he'd be my first choice," she said quickly.

"Get him and follow me," Lana ordered, moving quickly. Raina motioned to Quinn and they followed Lana into a small room filled with equipment.

"Theron was our expert on video capture. I need you to examine the data on this spike and tell me if it's actual or false. All of the equipment you require should be in this room, but let me know if you need anything else." Lana pulled the spike out of her pocket and handed it to Raina. "I don't need to tell you that this is highly classified and if any of the information here is leaked outside this room, you will be facing consequences." Major Quinn swallowed hard and averted his eyes. "The Commander is waiting on your findings, you have one standard day." Lana abruptly spun and left the room, and Raina gingerly sat at the nearby console as she heard the seal click on the door. What has the whole executive group in such an uproar, she wondered, and powered up the equipment. Quinn sat beside her, apparently ready to work now that Lana had gone. Raina shrugged and put the spike into the machine.

Corso followed Miriah into the bedroom, watching her pace, back and forth. He was still reeling from seeing Theron apparently on Odessen, but his primary focus was on the barely controlled rage coming from his wife. He felt sure that the image was fake, but the effect it was having on Miriah was exactly what Theron wanted, and he tried to convey this to her. "Darlin', there is literally no way Theron made his way through our shields and on the planet without us knowing about it. I promise you, it's just not possible," he said quietly, but she continued to pace. He wasn't even sure she heard him until she finally spoke.

"I want to think that, but that spike says otherwise. Even if it wasn't him, we have someone on Odessen who is part of his group, someone willing to go into a locked apartment and wreak havoc on Missy's personal belongings. Even if it wasn't Theron, he knew of it, probably ordered it." She finally sat on the low bench at the foot of their bed and buried her head in her hands. "I want him gone," she breathed out. "I don't care how, but I want him dead."

Corso sat beside her and gently rubbed her back. "I know, darlin'. I want that too." He felt her gradually relax under his hand and pulled her against him. "We'll get him. If Akaavi doesn't find him first. I almost feel a little sorry for him if she does." He felt his wife chuckle.

"I want to see her again, too," she said, putting her head on his shoulder. "I really thought that once Vaylin was dead, things would run relatively smoothly. I guess I was hoping it would, anyway."

Corso continued to soothe her with his hands, and when Miriah stood, she pulled him up with her and into the refresher. She undressed him slowly, while Corso tried to stay upright. When she turned the water on in the tub, he returned the favor, shedding her clothes and tossing them aside. The water bubbled around them and they found their strength in each other, as they always had. Later, as they lay tangled together, Corso remembered something she said. "Again?" he said softly, unsure if she was asleep.

"Absolutely, sugar. I'm always ready for more," she purred, but he shook his head.

"When we saw the video, you said you'd go back to Zakuul, by yourself again if you had to. When did you go alone?" he asked, but immediately the most likely scenario flashed in his mind.

Miriah looked into his eyes. "I took Arcann's ship and slipped out, about a week after you were admitted into the medcenter. I'm not ashamed of it, and I'd do it again in the same circumstances. Someone, who I now think must have been Akaavi, hit me with a tranq dart and put me back in the ship, autopilot set with the coordinates home." She smiled sadly. "I wanted to put an end to all this, figured if I called him out, Theron would take the bait."

Corso pulled her face to his, kissing her softly. "I'm so glad he didn't, darlin'." She sighed and snuggled into him, brushing his neck with her nose as she settled. "Now, rest. If the image is authenticated, we'll be very busy for a few days." He felt her relax against him and sighed to himself. This has to end, soon, he thought.

Lana had retired to the mess hall, and now sipped a cup of caf. If that rat was here, no wait, he couldn't be here, she thought. He'd never get through the shield without codes, but then we've had a breach there before, she reasoned. She pulled up her datapad and accessed all the landing codes given in the past week. All were assigned to known ships, and all had been verified with either the military or smuggler hangar. Theron was with Missy four days ago, she remembered. So it has to be a false image. She sipped on the caf and wondered where Nico was at the precise moment he entered the room and made a beeline for her. "I waited for you at the cantina, but I'm guessing something came up?" he asked, and she nodded.

"It may be awhile until I can properly welcome you home," she told him, and he saw the fatigue in her eyes.

"Nope," he said, and pulled her to her feet. "You can wait just as well at my place as you can here, and you'll be closer to the action." She barely had time to put the cup down before she was pulled out and back into the secure area. She trotted along, her long strides no match for Nico's, and finally he tugged her into the apartment. "Shower and bed? Or just bed?" he asked.

"A shower would be lovely," she sighed.

"Perfect. You left some things here before that are clean and folded, top drawer," he told her, and turned her toward the refresher. He folded down the bed covers and when Lana emerged, pink and fresh smelling, he let her dress and tucked her in.

"Not exactly the way I wanted to spend the evening with you," she said, yawning.

"We all need rest, Lana. I'm here," he told her, climbing into the other side of the bed. She scooted closer to him and was asleep in seconds. Nico grinned and wrapped his arm around her. I'm pretty good at this, he thought. Taking care of someone. He let the idea rattle around his thoughts for a bit, then decided he was okay with it, and followed Lana into sleep.

Raina had looked at the image in front of her for so long that she even saw it when she closed her eyes. She had put her tired head on her crossed arms, and listened to the clicks and taps Quinn made on the equipment. "There it is," he cried, and Raina jumped. When she had recovered from the startle, she saw what Quinn saw.

"Malavai, you've done it!" she exclaimed, and hugged him.

"It is a doctored image," he declared, and felt pride in finding the evidence. "Still, someone put it in our hands. What is the background here?"

"Looks like a bedroom, kinda. Except the bed exploded," she commented, and a chill ran through her. She recognized the interior, the paint and the style. "This was here," she whispered. "At least, the room is. Is Theron the only thing that's been placed into the frame?" She ran her hands over the controls, moving focus in and out of the still image.

"Yes, the person is the only thing not native to the image," he said, and Raina sat back.

"Then someone on Odessen is part of this," she said, and Quinn took her hand. Raina held on, suddenly spooked.

"I'll go find Ms. Beniko," Quinn said softly, and stood.

"I'm not staying here by myself," Raina said, and followed him out of the sealed door, the data spike and their findings in her pocket.

Lana sauntered down the hallway to her office, her mind on the datapad in front of her. She almost didn't look up from it in time, and had to hop to avoid stepping on the couple asleep on the floor in the command suite. "Ensign Temple, are you mad, sleeping here? If the Commander's detail had seen you here, they may not have asked questions!"

Raina scrambled up and woke Quinn, who jumped to attention, tugging his uniform into place. "It's a fake," she said. "The proof is here." She pulled the original spike from her pocket along with a smaller one with their findings.

Lana's face softened and her shoulders relaxed. "Thank you, both of you. I appreciate your dedication. Now remember, not a word leaked," she told them. "Go, eat and rest. We may have need of you both very soon." She watched them walk away, and saw Raina look up at the major with adoring eyes. Good, she thought.

Miriah saw the findings as soon as she entered the office, where Lana waited for her. "Okay," she said, sitting slowly, Corso at once at her side. "So, we know that someone here did this, but not necessarily Theron himself. Sugar, go to the boys and beg them, for me, to move into this area." Corso dropped a kiss on her head and set out, Aric joining him. "Contact Senya. See what she needs to push the hunt for Theron and the Order of Zildrog. Send anything she needs. We have to end this." Lana nodded and went to her office, leaving Maura with her sister.

"Mir, it's good news," she said. "He wasn't here."

"No, but his follower was. Whoever did this was here, waiting on orders. How long did he watch us and how we operate? Is he here, in the secure area?" Miriah stood and started to pace, but Maura stood in front of her.

"You cannot purge all evil from a place, Mir. You know that as well as anyone. If that could be done, there'd be no more Sith. The Empire wouldn't exist. Vaylin would have been a force for good." Miriah sat heavily in her chair.

"I know you're right," she admitted. "I just hate wondering, at every face I see." Maura returned to the door post and Miriah sat there, unable to clear her mind enough to focus on her duties. Finally she rose, and with her detail, went home to wait.

Torian had risen earlier than usual, and now sat at the cantina with Logan, who was on traffic duty. "I don't really know what it is, but Mom's spooked bad, and Dad came to ask us to temporarily move in here," Logan said.

"Something has happened," Torian mused. "Are you going to bring Elara and James into safety?"

"Of course," Logan nodded. "They're putting together some things now, should be here within the hour. In the meantime, Lara said there were three armed troopers around the house, and that James is showing them his toys." He laughed at the mental image.

Torian smiled. "I expect Devin and his family are preparing to move as well." Logan nodded, he'd asked his brother that same question only a few minutes before. "Good, that's one less thing the Commander has to worry about."

"Caly is covered. Everyone is..." They looked up to see Corso carrying a chattering Declan, Mia following with the stroller holding Merida. "The gang's all here," Logan grinned, standing to greet them. Maybe Mom can relax a little now, he thought.

Missy had tried to make the space her own, but her thoughts continued to plague her. He had to know I was with the Alliance, if he sent someone here or had someone here ransack my apartment, she thought. Why didn't he hold me for ransom, or at least try to find out about operations here? She paced in the large space until she finally collapsed on the sofa. Maybe, she thought, all wasn't as it seems with Theron Shan. With that little revelation, she closed her eyes and slept, this time without nightmares.


	45. Chapter 45

Miriah stepped off the ramp of the ship and squinted into the sun, shining brightly on the still stately towers of Zakuul. She felt Corso take her hand as he joined her, and heard the others as they followed. "It's still a beautiful place," she murmured, and felt Corso squeeze her hand.

"As long as no one's shooting at you," Aric commented, but she heard a little humor under his tone. Miriah had pleaded her case for two days before she convinced both he and Corso that they needed to be present here, if only to make it known to Theron and his new friends that the Alliance was not afraid of them. Now, she felt the peace of this place, and knew that Senya had started the healing process here. Some of the buildings that had been leveled when Vaylin turned the Eternal Fleet on her own people now stood almost rebuilt, and it brought a smile to Miriah's face. Their attention was caught by the sound of approaching vehicles, and Aric immediately stood in front of Miriah, his blaster drawn.

As the parade of speeders met them, Aric saw Senya and holstered his weapon, but didn't relax his stance. He counted seven speeders, shiny and reflecting the sunlight, all driven by smartly dressed Zakuulans. They halted a few feet away from the group, and Aric caught someone running around the front of the lead speeder in the corner of his eye, and whirled, blaster again ready.

"Easy there," Indo Zal called out. "Empress, it's so good to see you again!"

"Indo, if you call me that again, I will let Aric shoot you," Miriah responded.

"Sorry, sorry," he said. "Commander, please do us the honor of letting us take you up to the offices."

Senya approached them and hugged Miriah tightly before doing the same to Lana. "So glad to see you both," she murmured.

"Things look great," Miriah told her. "So much improvement. There's even a good feel here."

"We've been doing the things you suggested," Senya said. "Feeding them, giving them time off, trying to solve the immediate needs of every person. We still have a few who feel that working is beneath them, but the majority who were unhappy before are now productive citizens."

"Good to hear," Miriah told her, and gently, Aric escorted them into the waiting vehicles, wanting them out of the open as soon as possible. There were too many unknowns for him to feel comfortable here, and he saw on Corso's face that he felt the same way.

Arcann had risen early and met the sun on Odessen, walking in the freshly planted fields. The small buds and green shoots made him smile, and the warmth of the sun gave him hope. He felt settled and optimistic, his life so different than he'd thought it would be. Now, his dreams of Thexan were of times they were together, as boys and young men. He would have loved being here, he thought, and instead of making him sad, the thought comforted him. He was midway through the walk back home when he saw Morgana slip out of the back door of his house. She'd been living with him for a while now, and no reason to sneak, he thought, and watched as she made her way through their settlement, hiding and checking corners as she went from house to house. He saw her scramble over some rocks, and knew he needed to know what she was doing.

As he topped the rocks, he saw Morgana below, her flaming red hair distinctive even in shadow. He couldn't hear her, but the holo in her hand showed an image of a man in a bone mask, and Arcann knew. He took a deep breath and waited, his heart hurting but his mind clear.

Caly had the day off, and she and Torian had slept well. Now, early morning, she ran her hands over his bare chest and sighed. The tingles she felt just being near him warmed her and she let her hands drift lower. A part of her felt bad, but her curiosity and the growing desire to experience him fully drove her. Torian, still sleeping, responded until his arousal brought him fully awake and aware of Caly's hands on him. He jumped out of bed, panting, and Caly saw the emotions on his face.

"Sweetheart, that was both incredible and out of bounds," he told her when he could control his voice.

"I don't want to wait anymore, Torian," she told him. He paced for a minuted before responding.

"I made promises, Caly. That I wouldn't take advantage of you, or do anything you didn't want. I also made a promise to myself to wait. You want me to be a liar?" He ran frustrated hands though his hair.

"No, love. I don't want that. I just want you," she replied.

Torian stopped pacing and looked at her, longing in his eyes. "I want you, too," he said, his voice soft. "But I won't be a liar. There's too much at stake." He finally sat on the small sofa. "Maybe I should request another bodyguard," he said with a sigh.

Caly felt tears spring to her eyes. "I really, really don't want that," she said. "I'm sorry, Torian. I took advantage of you being asleep, and now I feel very ashamed." She buried her face in her hands then, and Torian moved to sit beside her.

"It was amazing, but yeah, we need to avoid things like that," he said, taking her in his arms. "Once we're married, you can do that whenever you like. In fact, I highly encourage it." When they parted, Caly to shower and Torian to get breakfast for them, they had a better understanding of each other, but Caly still wanted. I really need to talk to Mia again, she thought as the hot water ran down her body. Really soon.

Senya had lunch set out for them, and they gathered in the room. They had run the gamut of reported and holo cams on the way from the speeders into the government plaza, Miriah smiling and waving, but not answering any questions that were thrown her way. Once inside, they had come straight here, and now Miriah relaxed in the comfortable chair. "Is it always like this?" she asked Senya.

Senya laughed. "No, I'm not nearly as interesting as the Commander of the Eternal Alliance," she said. "They all just report on the progress of the rebuilding and the minor crimes and such normally. I'm sure your image is now all over the main galaxy feed."

"Great," Miriah said, smoothing her hair. She didn't have to deal with the mainstream media on Odessen, the closest they got was the orbital station. Here, she realized, she needed to pay closer attention to her appearance. Maura caught her gesture and smiled.

"You look good, Mir. Especially in the sunlight," she said, showing her sister the image that was currently accompanying the story.

"I hate this part," Miriah grumbled. "You'd think I'd be used to it by now, but no." Corso had gathered a plate for her, and put it in front of her. She took with with thanks, and he sat beside her with his own. He knew she hadn't eaten today, and wanted to make sure she at least got something.

Senya set her cup aside. "We've determined that there is a part of Zakuul that we have little knowledge about. Our investigators have caught glimpses into it, but as yet we don't have anyone in the Order of Zildrog in custody. We do have the surveillance video of the cantina where Missy was kidnapped, but the only thing we could see were the hands that pulled her into a side room." She sipped the hot tea again, feeling the sting of not having made much progress on this front.

"She's safely home," Aric said. They discussed the images on the data spike, and various theories of the culprit. When Aric mentioned the Mandalorians, Senya shook her head.

"We've seen nothing of them," Senya replied. "Of course, if they didn't want us to, we never would. All we have are the reports we've gotten from Odessen."

"I believe it's an old friend of mine," Miriah told her. "Someone who was once as close as family." Her voice trailed off as she thought of the last time she'd seen Akaavi, heavy with child as her firstborn sat on her hip, her face radiating happiness. She so wanted to talk to her again, she thought.

They were all interrupted with Indo's presence. "So what's on the agenda before the dinner tonight?" he asked, clasping his hands in front of him.

"We're just staying here," Aric informed the enthusiastic man. "And the security plan will need to be briefed." The smile dropped a little, but Indo stood straight.

"Of course. Let me show you to your rooms, then we can review the festivities," he said, moving into the hallway. Miriah had brought her own detail, and they now formed up around her and Corso. They made their way into the living quarters of the plaza, and Aric and Maura brought up the rear, their eyes noting every single minute detail, making sure there were no hidden nooks or cameras anywhere.

Miriah stretched on the elaborate bed and yawned. She'd been sleeping a lot since she left Odessen, but Corso figured she was catching up. "Darlin', need anything?" he asked her as she closed her eyes.

"I'm fine, not going to sleep but you've got to try this bed. I may have to take it back to Odessen with us," she told him. He lay beside her and was instantly relaxed.

"Wow," he said, pulling her close. "Sure you don't want a nap?"

"I shouldn't, but suddenly I do," she said softly. He kissed her forehead.

"Rest then, my love. I'm right here," he told her. He watched her face relax in sleep and closed his own eyes. Maybe we're just getting too old for all this, the travel and the stress of it all. He almost laughed out loud. Naw, we're good, he said, still smiling as he followed his heart into sleep.

Arcann had watched Morgana as she talked to the masked figure, and when she disconnected the call, he let her go back to the settlement. He waited a bit then followed, and instead of going in for breakfast, he took a speeder to the main base and sought out the Commander, finding Devin in her office instead.

"I believe I have found our vandal," he said, and Devin shot to his feet. When Arcann had described what he saw, Devin whistled low.

"Okay, how do you want to handle it?" Devin asked, knowing there was a kind of relationship between Arcann and the woman.

"She used me to get details and information. We have to detain her, see if she will give us some information once she's in a cell," Arcann said, his face grim.

"Your call," Devin said. "I can have a squad there in a few minutes. Why don't you go in first and see if she can be reasoned with." Arcann nodded and left, and Devin decided he should be there as well. He called up the response squad on standby and they headed to the settlement.

Arcann came into his home and saw Morgana cleaning up the kitchen. "I made food but didn't see you anywhere," she told him, not looking up from her chore. When he didn't respond, she turned to meet his gaze.

"I know you are affiliated with the Order of Zildrog," he said, and she at once turned defiant.

"What of it? Shouldn't I support a group that would like to have you back on the Eternal Throne?" she said, shaking her hair off her face.

"After everything we went through, and everything we built here? You would undermine the Commander after she let the lot of you stay on Odessen? Instead of a prison, she gave you a place where you could be free of tyranny, do what you wanted. No, Morgana, I would not support that group," he said, and she dove her hand into her pocket, screaming when he paralyzed her arm with the force.

Devin heard the sound, and sent the troopers to the door. "I'm going in, but hopefully we don't have to do anything but transport," he told the leader, getting a curt nod in return. When Devin entered the room, he saw that the woman had been restrained, but her eyes widened when he drew nearer.

"No, no, I won't fight. Please, Master Jedi, do not kill me," she pleaded, and Devin narrowed his gaze.

"I have a squad to transport her," he said to Arcann.

"Take the holo from her, and search for any other communications devices," Arcann replied, still using force to hold Morgana in place. Devin searched her, and found the holo as well as a relay and a handful of data spikes. When he was reasonably sure she had no other means of communication, he nodded at Arcann who easily pulled her outside and into custody. They watched as the troopers put her in the padded transport, her hands in cuffs, and when it started back to the main base, Devin sighed.

"I'm sorry," was all he said, but Arcann remained stoic and silent. After a few moments, Devin mounted his own speeder. Just before he hit the throttle, Arcann's hand came down on his arm.

"I thank you for handling this personally. It's one of the many things I admire about the Alliance. I daresay if Miriah were here, she'd have been right where you were." Devin nodded and set off, his tension lessened now that the culprit who had assisted Theron Shan had been apprehended. Now, to see what she actually knows, he thought.

Caly met Torian and they went for a walk, hand in hand. When they reached the military hangar, he did a quick sweep outside and brought her outside, where he had a blanket and some food set out. The day was warm and bright, and he thought they'd both feel better with some fresh air. She sat and they ate, watching the birds and then the clouds as they lay on the blanket. He could feel her contentment and as the sun started to wane, he woke her with a kiss. "We'd better get back inside," he told her as she blinked awake. "It'll get cool when the sun sets." With a nod, they gathered their things and went back to the pod.

Caly caught his arm. "We're okay?" she asked, a frown bunching her forehead.

"Of course, love," he responded, "we're always okay. If we're not, we work it through, just like this morning." She kissed him and went to get ready to cook, wondering if they'd be able to stay chaste until they were married. She chuckled to herself, knowing the stakes were high but the pay out would be fantastic. She went to the cantina kitchen, humming and happy.


	46. Chapter 46

Miriah looked at her reflection. It was not at all her usual command tunic and black boots. Tonight, she had taken a lot of time to perfect her look. You need to be more approachable, Lana had said. Under the bright lights surrounding the mirror, she looked into her own face, smudging the shadow just a little at the edge of her eye. She'd done her hair up, now that it was long enough to do so, with curls in the back and tendrils framing her face. Not too bad, she thought. Turning away, she smoothed the shimmersilk fabric over her hips and glanced at the mirror, checking the back view. She wore a gown the same shade as a storm cloud, and with the smoky makeup, her eyes appeared a pure silver. The gown left one shoulder bare, the other had a clasp of silver holding the pieces together, along with a draping scarf that flowed down her back from it. Miriah saw the tiny imperfections, the slight lines around her mouth and eyes, and she caught the slim line of scar on her right arm, from battle so many years ago. Her moonstone earrings hung from her ears, and she slipped on the strappy sandals Lana had picked out. Ready to go, she made her way into the small sitting area of their suite.

Corso saw her as she started toward him and was struck mute. She looked ethereal, he thought, but words wouldn't come to his mouth. Instead, he took her hand and nestled it in the crook of his arm, and together they made their way into the hallway, the detail already briefed on the evening's activities. The people of Zakuul wanted their own leadership, and Miriah would be happy to have Senya back on Odessen. Tonight, they would host the candidates, and hopefully sow some good will with whomever was chosen to lead the planet into the future. As the detail parted at the large, grand room where they would all meet, Lana appeared and smiled at her boss. "Excellent, Commander. You look regal." Lana had surveyed the room and made sure that everything was in place, and now she stood with Miriah and Corso.

Lana had softened her look as well, and in her purple sheath, her golden hair shining in waves, she looked like a totally different person. She had managed to have a little time with Nico, but she had ended up examining their relationship in her mind, over and over, until she finally just tried to push thoughts of him out of her mind. Now, she wondered what he was doing, if he might have missed her, just a little. She was mulling that thought when suddenly the image of Theron popped into her mind. What are you doing, Theron, she wondered. She pushed a bright smile onto her face and turned to Miriah. "We'll mingle a bit, then sit down for dinner. All the places are assigned, and Aric is directing the entry point security," she said. "It'll be fine. No speeches, and the droids have everything packed. We'll take speeders back to the ship directly after."

Miriah nodded. "I like it. Any word on the Zildrog bunch?"

"We haven't heard or seen anything, so far. This would be the perfect opportunity to get everyone's attention, though, so we're on alert for them." Lana saw Miriah shiver. "Are you cold? I can get a wrap for you."

"I'm fine," Miriah said. "Just nerves. I don't think I'll ever get used to being the focus of hate."

"Nor should you," Lana said softly. She knew her friend had accepted that she would always incur some form of opposition, but the attempts on her life and the lives of her family had made them all realize the lengths some would go to in an effort to have their way.

Corso had been inspecting the room, discreetly scanning it for listening devices and cameras with a hand held device. When all the lights remained green, he powered it down and slipped it into his pocket. They would all scan any food they ate and any drinks, but he wanted to be extra safe. Miriah was a target here, and he couldn't think of anything else than that. He looked over at her now, struck again at how beautiful she looked. He had been pleased that she'd gotten some rest on this journey, and he intended to keep her relaxed. Lana looks great, too, he thought. He saw some of the attendees filter in at the other doors, and moved to Miriah's side. Here we go, he told himself, and felt Miriah lean closer to him. He put his arm around her waist, and felt her sigh. "We'll be on the way home soon, darlin'." She nodded and they moved into the center of the room.

Caly sighed and looked out at the full cantina. Her internship was over tonight, and she'd tried to be happy about that, but she knew she'd miss being in a kitchen. She would have a week's break, then meet with the school officials, hopefully to be told she passed. Torian caught her gaze and grinned, and she had to admit she loved doing what she was doing, and who she was with. All in all, she thought, I am blessed. She remembered her parents were on Zakuul, and thought about taking Torian to their apartment after her shift for a little celebration, which made her smile. They had tried to cool down their mutual desire, but it was really difficult. She'd tried to talk to Mia about it, but Merida had been especially fussy and they hadn't had an opportunity to talk. Now, she felt her body heat up just from thinking about Torian, and there were times she had to just walk away from him. He understood, he said. He'd had to do the same thing in the past, but now, all he wanted was to do the right things in the right order.

Torian had seen Caly looking out at the crowded dining area, and knew she must have mixed feelings about her schooling coming to an end. He had never been formally schooled, just picked up what he could as he went. Mandalore was a torn world in his youth, and being an outcast, he'd had to make do with what his aunt had taught him. Still, he mused, speaking six languages and being able to pilot a star ship weren't trivial things. He didn't feel less than someone who had gone to university. His goals in life had always been to do his best to make his village and people proud of him, and to find things to be grateful for. He had all of that, right here. He leaned back in his chair and enjoyed the feeling of fulfillment.

Miriah caught Corso's nod and took a bite of the delicious looking food in front of her. In honor of Zakuul, they were having native dishes, and she had to admit they were tasty. I'll have to tell Caly about the spices they use here, she thought. All in all, the evening had gone well, apart from one of the candidates who didn't come. Axiom, she thought. Interesting name. Corso had stayed close, and now he leaned into her.

"I can't take my eyes off you," he whispered, and she blushed lightly. She felt pretty, not a feeling she let herself have often. She was about to tell him how handsome he was in his tuxedo when she saw Aric hurrying to them, a frown on his face. Instantly, she was on her feet, alert and ready for whatever danger lay ahead. Instead, he motioned her to sit, and took the chair beside her.

"Easy, Mir. Just a transmission for Lana, but it's encrypted. She went to the ship to receive it, we should be leaving soon anyway." He sat back and looked at the rest of the guests, and saw it was a relaxed, friendly gathering. He and Maura had eaten in shifts, and now he was ready to jet. Being on a planet where he knew there were people who wanted revenge made him uneasy at best.

"Let's go then," Miriah said, standing again and taking Corso's hand. She made her way to Senya and Indo, thanking them for the hospitality, and shook a dozen more hands on the way to the door. Her detail in place, they boarded the waiting speeders and zipped across the dimly lighted space to the landing field. None of them took a deep breath until the ramp came up and they felt the ship lift off.

Lana had been puzzling over the message for almost an hour when Miriah sat down across from her. "It was intercepted from an abandoned listening post. The Empire left it years ago, during Zakuull's first invasion. When decrypted, all it broadcasts is one word. Zildrog. The same message we intercepted from Theron. Someone is trying to lead us to the Order, I know it!"

"There could be valuable information at that outpost. I think we should take a look at it," Aric commented, and Miriah nodded.

"Yes, I agree. Let's just go there now, we're already in space. Shouldn't take long to see what's there," Miriah said.

"I'll go set a course," Aric said and stood, Maura following him. Miriah keyed in a frequency to the main holo, and smiled when Devin appeared.

"Dev, sweetie. How are things there?" she asked him, seeing Merida on his shoulder.

"We're good. Business as usual around here," he told her, and then canted his head. "You have news," he stated, waiting for her reply.

"We're going to check out an abandoned listening post, so we may be a little longer than we thought," she said.

"Okay then, I'll tell Caly and Logan. Be safe, Mom."

"I will, hug all the babies for me," Miriah said, and the image winked out just as the hyperdrive engaged. With a sigh, she looked for Corso but didn't see him. He'd been here a moment ago, she thought. After walking the ship, she found him in their quarters, hanging his formal clothing up. She began to undress as well, stepping out of the heeled sandals as he turned to take her in his arms.

"I'd hate to see you take that lovely dress off, except I like what's under it better than anything else," he told her, smiling when she chuckled against him. He pulled back to kiss her and she held on, feeling a shudder race through her. He felt it, too, and stroked her hair as she lay her head on his chest. "What's wrong, darlin'?"

"Nothing. Something. I don't know," she sighed, and sank onto the low bench. "I feel something big coming, an end and a beginning. It scares me," she admitted, and this time when Corso took her in his arms, she turned into him, and felt safe.

"No matter what, we'll figure it out, my love." He held onto her just as tightly, hoping her premonition was only that. He sighed into her hair and sat with her, both trying to shore each other up for whatever was to come.

Caly pulled her datapad out as it chimed, reading Devin's message. Okay, she thought, and showed it to Torian as he came to her side. "Must have gotten some info on Zakuul," he said, and Caly's eyes opened wide. She hadn't thought of that. Now she was worried.

"What if it's a trap?" she asked, her voice high pitched. Torian saw the worry and hugged her.

"I'm sure the Commander will be cautious, and she has Aric and your dad with her, along with Lana. They'll be fine," he assured her. I hope, he thought. He took Caly home and when she fell into bed, he remained awake, thinking through the scenarios that might play out on the outpost. He had decided to go see Devin in the morning and find out what was happening. Even so, sleep was elusive for him as he lay there, Caly on his shoulder. They have to be okay, he finally convinced himself, and closed his eyes.

Miriah stared at Lana in disbelief. They had watched the videos, the claims of someone named Vinn Atrius blaming her for all of the things that had happened since Valkorion died. Theron, telling Vinn that he'd led the Commander into the trap on Iokath, to show his dedication to the Order. Atrius's order to get her to Umbara, Indo Zal, the very person who had welcomed them to Zakuul only a day before, who now sat with Senya as a friend, admit that helping the Commander was a mistake. That one made tears well up in Miriah's eyes, she had truly thought Indo was on her side. Now, it appeared he wanted to fix that mistake. The Gemini unit that had contacted Atrius with the information on how to find and awaken Zildrog. They stood at the last active terminal in the decrepit outpost, and Lana typed furiously on it's keypad.

"There's some information here that was entered only a few hours before we arrived," Lana said. "It's a set of coordinates on Nathema, with a message. 'They've found it. Hurry.'" She took a deep breath. "Wait! I recognize this encryption method. We developed it together years ago. On Rishi." She sighed and met Miriah's eyes. "Only two people know how to decrypt it- me, and Theron."

Miriah felt a trickle of sweat sneak down her back and shook her head. "I can't keep up, there are so many layers of deception and history. What is really going on here?"

"It could be a trap," Lana agreed. "But.. why Nathema?" Suddenly a self destruct message sounded and they ran for the _Dreamweaver,_ and sped away from the doomed structure, escaping to a safe distance but seeing the explosion behind them.

All eyes were on Miriah, who was still reeling from the video feeds she'd watched. "First, get in touch with Senya, let her know of Indo's pals."

"Already done," Aric told her.

Miriah looked around her at the people she never had to question. "There's nothing else to do but head to Nathema."

Lana knew Miriah would go, but she almost told her not to. Not to get caught up with whatever Theron was doing, who he was advising, that it would only mean another fight. Most of all, Lana didn't want to be anywhere near Theron, whose behavior was starting to make sense, just as she'd let him go.


	47. Chapter 47

Miriah woke in Corso's arms, shaking and crying, her voice hoarse from her screams. He had pulled her onto his lap, and when the door crashed open, he had pulled the sheet up to cover her. They had fallen sleep in each other's arms, and neither had bothered with clothing.

Aric blushed, but his concern won out. "Everything okay in here?" he asked, and averted his eyes as Corso adjusted the sheet around them.

"I'm not sure, but I'm guessing a nightmare," Corso said, rubbing his wife's back. "Shh, baby, it's okay. We're all right here, with you." He continued to murmur to her, and after a few minutes the sobs slowed and Miriah turned swollen eyes to his.

"I saw.. I saw.. so much… destruction.." she said between hiccups. "Odessen. We need to start evacuating the planet." Miriah jumped to her feet, reaching back to pull the sheet off the bed at the startled gasps of Aric, Maura and Lana. "Let's get them on the holo! We have to warn them!" She turned wide eyes to Corso. "Sugar, get Devin!"

"Wait, darlin'. What are you saying?" he asked her, taking her in his arms.

"I saw Zildrog, or what I think was Zildrog, destroying Odessen and all we built. All our family! Our people!" she said. "We have to get them out!" Her rising panic made Aric step closer.

"Mir, help me understand," he told her, his low voice accompanied by a soft purring sound meant to soothe, and she turned to him. "You think we should evacuate the entire planet based on a dream. Is it possible that it's just a nightmare? I mean, you have been under some stress." Miriah looked into his eyes for a long moment before nodding.

"Yes, I guess you're right. I'm sorry I woke everyone," she said, blushing. Aric took a deep breath, and nodded. Miriah's screams had been primal, soul deep and filled with fear. It had shaken him, he'd admit it. Maura had been pale as a ghost as they'd hurried to the captain's quarters. Now, his body humming with adrenaline, he patted his sister in law on the shoulder, reluctant to hug her wrapped in the sheet. Corso had managed to pull on some pants, and now held Miriah tightly against him.

"I'm going to start breakfast, if anyone wants to join me," Aric said, and Corso nodded at him. As the group filed out, Miriah sat heavily on the bed.

"I really did see it, it was so awful," she told him, and he kissed her head. "I at least want to let Solasta know where we're heading and why."

"Now that idea I can get behind," he told her, and he saw her smile weakly at him. He tilted her face up and kissed her, a long, slow kiss that morphed into several more, and when he lifted his head, Miriah looked normal. A little soggy, maybe, but normal, and he felt the world settle around him. "Let's go help with breakfast and then we can calculate the time on Odessen. I'd hate to wake Aissa."

Lana tried to help Aric, pulling requested ingredients as needed. When Aric stopped to stir the casserole he was putting together, he looked around, saw that they were alone in the galley and looked at Lana. "Indo?" was all he said, but Lana sighed. Once the truth had been revealed, and Miriah had contacted Senya, he'd been placed under house arrest.

"Dead. In his apartment, killed himself like the slimy little weasel he was," she said, her voice even and low. "Senya was prepared to leave, she should be on her way to Odessen now, if we need her to do anything."

"I don't know what to think. Was it a force vision or just the manifestation of months of stress and worry? I think we let Solasta know and Devin, of course, but there's no feasible way to evacuate an entire planet. And even if we tried, how many would die as a result of the panic?" He turned his attention back to the casserole. "I just don't know. I honestly thought Miriah was dying, I've never heard a human sound like that before."

Lana shivered and rubbed her arms. "It truly was terrible. I was just trying to get to her, I never stopped to think that they might be.. that she might be.."

Aric laughed. "That used to be the case, but this. This was as if her very soul were calling out in terror." They were silent for a moment as they thought on Aric's words, each trying to rationalize her fears.

Devin sat straight up in bed, his mother's terror ringing in his mind, Mia following after feeling his anxiety. "What's happened?" she asked, and he gathered her in his arms.

"I'm not sure, but Mom's force signature just spiked, as if she were fighting for her life." He swung his legs over the side of the bed. "I have to know what's going on there."

"Of course, I want to know that they're okay, too," Mia said, moving quickly now that she understood the situation. She was used to being woken from a dead sleep and clearing the fogginess quickly. Devin followed his wife to their home holo, and Devin keyed in the frequency. Aric's image came into view and Devin could see the strain in his uncle's face.

"What's going on?" he asked, and Aric took a deep breath. Before he could speak, Miriah ran past him to the holo.

"Dev, I had a.. I don't know, vision or dream or something, that Odessen was being attacked. It felt very real, and I want you and Solasta to put the base on threat level five." Devin thought for a moment, threat level five was the highest threat, and he knew that would raise some eyebrows.

"But you were just going to look at a transponder station," he said, and saw in his mother's face that there was more.

"We're on our way to Nathema. We left in a hurry and didn't take the time to call before we hit hyperspace," Miriah explained. She told him of what she'd learned, and he knew she would have been overwhelmed with the betrayals. When she finished, he picked up his datapad.

"Threat level raised and officers notified," he said. "I'm sending a squadron of ships to your location as well."

"Thanks, son. For everything. Sorry I woke you both," Miriah said, and returned Mia's smile and wave. She stepped back from the holo, but Devin called out to her.

"So is Theron truly a traitor?" he asked softly, and saw the pain in his mother's face.

"I guess we'll find out," she told him, and the image winked out. Devin pulled Mia into a hug, needing her reassurance that his family would come home.

Torian groggily picked up the datapad, it's incessant chirping finally penetrating the depths of sleep. When he read the message, he jumped out of bed and ran to the closet, pulling gear out. Dressed in his cortosis, he gently woke Caly. "Sweetheart, I've been activated. I'm probably not supposed to tell you this, but Devin would anyway. I'm being sent to Nathema, in support of the Commander and the suppression of Zildrog."

"What?" she asked, rubbing her eyes. When the information sank in, she cried out and hurriedly dressed along side Torian.

"Where are you going?" he asked her, seeing her gathering her things.

"War room," she told him. "I'll see what needs to be done there. I can't just lie here and see what happens."

Torian grinned at her then. He had expected her to protest, to beg him to stay with her, but when she didn't, he was proud. He hadn't thought he could love her more, but in that instant he did. "I'll be home soon," he told her, cupping her face in his hands for a long kiss. When they parted, Caly sniffed back the tears that had formed and watched him jog away, his flight helmet in his hands. When she couldn't see him any longer, and against the rush of people heading to the hangars, she made her way to the war room, hoping to find anything to do that would help her forget how scared she was.

Miriah sat at the table, her head in her hands and moved only when Corso draped a warm blanket around her. She'd been shivering since the screaming episode, and she smiled gratefully at him. "Here," Aric said, putting a mug of hot cocoa in front of her. He patted her back gently and moved to finish the meal he'd started. Corso went to help, and Maura sat beside her sister.

"Feeling a little steadier?" she asked softly, knowing Miriah hated to appear weak.

"A little," Miriah replied, and sipped the warm, dark chocolate. "Now that I'm awake and with all of you, it seems silly somehow."

"You've had premonitions before, Mir. They came true. I hope that what you saw was a possibility, like Mom always says." Maura sighed, and sat back against the padded seat. "What do we do if Theron really is working for us?"

Miriah shook her head. "I have no clue. I'm more worried about how she will react." The sister's eyes turned to Lana, who was helping the men with breakfast. "Me? I might just shoot him first and ask about his allegiances later." She heard Maura's muffled snort of laughter and grinned.

"Likewise," was all Maura responded, and they both put smiles on their faces as the others approached with the food.

Caly was halfway across the war room when she spotted General Dinn, a blanketed bundle on her shoulder. She rushed to her friend and reached for the baby. "Caly, what are you doing up so early?" Solasta asked.

"Torian's already lifted off, so I came to see where I was needed," she said, as Aissa snuggled into Caly's neck, recognizing her scent. "I can keep an eye on her while you do what you need to do." Solasta's face immediately relaxed, and they entered the general's office, already set up with a play area and small cot. She placed the sleeping kit on the cot and joined Solasta at the desk. "Give me something that needs to be organized or coordinated, something that will free you to keep my family safe."

Solasta examined the young woman closely. She knew Caly was holding herself together with sheer will, but she also knew how fundamentally strong Calypso was. "Very well. Take the supply lists and verify with the main databank that everything would be ready if we needed to go underground, mainly food and power supplies." Caly took the offered datapad with a grin and sat down across the desk, her head already bent to the device. After she'd worked a few minutes, Caly looked up at her friend.

"I just want them to come home," she said, her heart shining in her eyes. Solasta swallowed hard against the lump in her throat.

"Me, too, Miss Caly. We'll do what we can here to ensure that."

Miriah dressed carefully. Lana had commissioned new armor for her that used lightweight materials but was as strong as the armor Corso wore, with hidden plates in the durasteel enforced cortosis weave. When she was ready, she stood and marveled at the outfit. It looked no different then the tunic and leggings she usually wore, but she could feel it was just a touch heavier and could see a difference in the fabric itself. She strode into the lounge area and Lana inspected the outfit.

"Very nicely done, I'd say," she commented. "I'll have another set made..."

"If we survive this," Miirah interrupted. "We need to make sure we're ready, if we aren't able to go back to Odessen." Miriah's statement stopped everyone short, and they all felt the gravity of the moment. After a few minutes of stunned silence, Aric shot up from where he was sitting.

"I refuse to consider the idea that we won't see our families again," he declared, and gathered the parts of the weapon he'd been cleaning to assemble them. When his cannon barrel clicked into place with a loud snap, he stood. "I'm ending this. Collateral fatalities," and here he shot a look at Lana, "may ensue. Whatever happens, we WILL be getting back on this ship and heading home. I have full confidence in this!"

Miriah observed her brother in law as he got angry about the situation, and had a sudden clarity about it. "Yes, I do believe that's true, Aric. But we will sustain some losses."

The group turned to her as one. "What do you mean, Mir?" Corso said softly.

"I just feel it. I can't explain anything further." She sighed and moved to Corso's side. "I'm ready to get this started."

"Shuttle is ready to go when we are," Aric confirmed, and they made their way to the bay, no one speaking but the general mood one of purpose and strength. The planet was large in the screen as they zoomed down to the surface, and the landing smooth. The group stood at the ramp's end and surveyed the area.

"This is where the coordinates pointed us," Lana said.

"Where are we?" Miriah asked, her hand on her blaster grip.

"Evidently not at Zildrog's location," Lana replied, but their attention was immediately diverted by the appearance of Theron Shan as he made his way into the small clearing.

Aric and Maura leveled cannons at him, Lana her lightsaber. Miriah left her weapon holstered, but Corso had his warming up, the shrill whine getting Miriah's attention. She turned to him and put her hand on his, feeling the blaster's heat through her gloves. She met his eyes and saw pure hatred staring back. "Sugar, wait. He knows where this superweapon is, we don't. Please, not yet." Corso stood several seconds with his finger on the trigger before finally lowering the blaster.

Theron watched them, holding his breath. When Corso's arm lowered, air rushed into his lungs. He felt like he'd been punched in the gut when he saw Lana, but now that he was able to look at her more closely, he saw the wariness, the uncertainty. Attempting to lighten the situation, he spoke. "I needed to meet you somewhere the Order wouldn't notice," he told them, taking a few steps forward. "I managed to give them the slip, but we don't have much time."

Mirah wanted to believe him, wanted to find this Zildrog and the Zakuulan who had organized this, but there was more. She saw in Theron's eyes that he was being truthful, and decided, if only for this few moments, to trust him. "So you betrayed the Order, too? Quite a track record, Theron."

"I know how it looks, but just hear me out," he replied. "I heard rumors about the Order of Zildrog through my old underworld contacts. It took me months to even find them, and the whole time, they were watching us." He took a few steps closer. "By the time I learned the truth about Zildrog, it was almost too late. They'd learned too much. I had to slow them down, to allow the Alliance time to catch up." He sighed, and looked into Lana's eyes for the first time since she'd landed. "I had to join them. To work from the inside. The only way to get Vinn Atrius to trust me, was to betray you." He stared at his feet, unable to say anything else for the moment.

"Why didn't you come to me?" Miirah asked, her voice in that low, dangerous tone.

"The Gemini droid was watching. I haven't figured out how, but she was recording everything we said. Telling you would risk the whole operation." He shifted then, his eyes still on the ground. "I needed the betrayal to look real. You can't imagine how hard it was to put you through that." Lana's glare was icy, but he looked anyway. "But I swore I'd do whatever it took to protect you, remember?"

"I remember," Miriah said, but to her side she heard Lana's small cry of distress.

"Lana," he said softly. "If anything had happened to you, I couldn't.. You mean everything to me."

Lana blinked back tears and struggled to control her voice. "So you infiltrated the order and learned their plans. What are we up against?"

"They found Zildrog in one of the vaults. Looks like Valkorian kept it on ice as a failsafe. The Order has nearly finished their final preparations. Once they activate Zildrog, it's the end of the Alliance."

Miriah looked closely at Theron. He was thin and pale, and looked so tired. She wanted to believe him, but she had been cautious up until now. He had taken a step closer, and now Aric and Corso moved to intercept him. Theron stopped, and she met his eyes.

"I stalled them with false data for as long as I could, but we don't have much time," he told her. "If we act now, we can stop the Order before they activate Zildrog. I've set up blind spots in the vault, so we can get through mostly undetected."

Lana stepped closer to Theron. "We're supposed to trust you, after what you put me, put us through? How do we know you're not leading us straight into the Order's hands?"

Miriah sighed. "I don't like it either, but right now, Theron's our best chance of stopping the Order."

"I hope you know what you're doing," Lana said, turning away from the eyes that haunted her dreams.

Theron reached out to touch Lana, but stopped and slowly lowered his hand. "C'mon. We've got to get moving." Corso and Aric flanked Miriah as she moved to follow Theron on the path. Lana hung back, her hand going to her side where she'd intercepted the blaster bolt meant for the Commander. He's convincing, she told herself, but I just don't know. With a sigh, she caught up to the group. I'll be ready, if he tries something else.


	48. Chapter 48

Miriah took a swig of water and looked at the group. They had met a few small groups of force-mad Order followers, but nothing they had any trouble with. Lana was keeping a wary distance, and Theron had taken the protein bar Aric handed him with a hungry groan, devouring it quickly. There's so much going on here, she thought, and capped her canteen. "We should be getting some relief from the heat," she said, and Corso nodded. They were about to enter a jungle-looking area, with hanging vines and thick vegetation blocking the sun from the ground. "We need to move."

"Agreed," Theron said, standing but having to throw his hands out to catch his balance. Miriah heard Lana's sharp intake of breath but didn't turn to look at her. They carefully picked their way along a narrow path, and at one point, had to travel single file against the rock wall. "Don't look down, Lana. I know you hate heights."

"Don't pretend concern for me, Theron," Lana snapped, forcing her feet forward in tiny steps. She was sick, both in her heart and her gut, warring with her brain for control of her feelings. She was trying hard to push her emotions into a box to be examined later, but they refused to stay put. Sighing, she took Aric's offered hand and stepped onto the floor of the valley they'd reached and looked up to see the opening they'd come through so far above her that she felt dizzy. Aric led her to a large rock and lowered her to sit, handing her more water.

"This place looks so different," Miriah said softly.

"Sure does," Corso agreed, looking around at the lush greenery. He carefully studied his wife's face, but she looked normal to him, and he planted a kiss on her cheek. "Let's move on, I don't want to be anyplace for too long."

Maura took Miriah's arm in hers. "You doing okay, hon?" she asked, her voice low.

"I'm great," Miriah replied, smiling at her sister. "I'm glad Aric is keeping an eye on Lana."

"He's good like that," Maura shrugged. They forged ahead until they saw a break in the wall of vines and flowering plants.

"This is where it gets interesting," Theron observed, and Miriah turned to look at him, eyebrow raised. "This is the entrance to the vault," he explained.

Solasta took the datapad from Caly's hands. Two days they'd worked together, and the general was satisfied that the plans were all ready. "Let's go get some dinner," she said to her young friend.

"That sounds really good," Caly said, a faint smile on her face. They gathered their things and a smiling Aissa and headed to meet Gursan at the mess hall. Caly had been quiet all day, and Solasta had attempted to draw her into conversation, but to no avail. Now, Solasta noticed she just looked so very tired. Gursan had brought food to them and they sat quietly, Aissa asleep after her own feeding. "Caly, honey, you're not sleeping, are you?"

"Not much," Caly admitted, rubbing her eyes.

"Come home with us," Gursan urged. "At least you won't be alone."

Caly's true smile shone through. "I appreciate it, but I told Devin I'd be with them tonight. I really hope Torian can call later."

"You are welcome with us at any time," Gursan told her, and Solasta nodded. They truly thought of Caly as family, and wanted her to feel safe and comforted. When they rose to leave, Caly hugged them both.

"See you in the morning," she told Solasta, and got a nod before they watched her trudge to the security checkpoint.

"I'm really worried about her," Gursan said, and Solasta squeezed his hand.

"Me, too."

Miriah waved her hand over the glowing panel of the makeshift fence, and a loud rumbling startled them all a few steps backward. No one spoke as a large droid came through the opening and let out a snarling sound. "Great," Miriah breathed out.

"We have to hurry!" Theron drew his blaster as Aric and Corso did, and once the machine was engaged, they all fought hard, trying to lessen the delay it caused. Still, it wasn't easy and when it finally fell, they all gathered at the door, Miriah sitting heavily on the stone floor.

"Here, darlin'," Corso said, handing her a foil package and a bottle of water. Miriah sighed with relief as the chocolate melted in her mouth. When she could speak again, she turned loving eyes to her husband.

"So glad you packed ahead, sugar," she told him, taking his hand. "I really needed the energy."

"I brought enough for everyone," he said, pulling a bag of foil packets out of his belt pouch and spilling them on the floor in the middle of the crude circle their bodies made. The group fell on the unexpected bounty and Miriah felt the surge of force around them while they recharged. When she felt ready, she stood.

"Let's finish this," she said firmly, and got nods all around as she started off into the dark recesses of the vault, Theron in the lead.

Caly had just eased the door closed when Declan ran to her. She caught him and swung him up on her hip, his lips placing smacking kisses on her face as she giggled. Mia had been right behind him but laughed at her sister in law. "He was all excited when I told him you were going to be here tonight," she explained.

"I've missed seeing him every day," Caly said as the little boy rested his head on her shoulder.

"Come, eat. You need some rest, too," Mia said, her mothering instincts in full on mode. Devin left Merida in the floor playing and came to hug his sister as well, the force telling him her condition as well as his eyes.

"I got the check in from the squadron. Logan says they're all just fine, and are refueling soon. I'd expect a message then," he told her, and she smiled.

"I'll be glad to get one. What about Mom and Dad?" she asked, sitting in the chair he pulled out for her, Declan already closing his eyes.

"Uncle Aric sent a transmission before they landed on Nathema, said they were all systems go," Devin replied. "You know they're not going to risk a transmission from the surface." Caly nodded, and patted the little boy's back.

"Here," Mia said, taking her sleeping son. "Eat and then you can get a long, hot shower. I've got the guest room all set up for you." Caly gave her sister in law a grateful smile and even though she'd eaten with the Dinns, she realized she was still hungry, and the thick stew smelled wonderful. Mia's really getting better at this, she thought, taking a bite of the savory meal. She ate without looking up, and when she was finished, she grinned.

"That was delicious," she said, and was rewarded with a huge smile on Mia's face. "I'd love that shower now, and I'm crashing."

"Good idea," Devin told her, helping her stand and hugging her again. "They're okay, Caly. I can feel that Mom is doing okay," he whispered, and she nodded against his shoulder.

"I need to see her," was all Caly said before she made her way to the shower, her mind already shutting down.

"What is this?" Lana said, her voice echoing in the vast area. They'd arrived at a long walkway ending in a platform with what appeared to be a huge machine in the center. Atrius was there, as was the Gemini unit. The ominous hum of the machine was such that Miriah could feel it vibrate her bones.

"You!" Vinn shouted as they neared. Before anyone could react, Theron lifted his blaster and fired at Atrius, who fell at the Gemini unit's feet.

"Been wanting to do that for ages," Theron said, a grin sneaking over his face. The Gemini activated a shield over herself and Atrius.

"Organics fight so hard for their survival," it said. "But you're too late. The thrones have been filled, Zildrog is summoned."

Miriah looked at the beings strapped in at regular intervals around the machine. "What happened to these people?" she asked.

"They served a purpose they hadn't anticipated. Fuel for Zildrog's awakening." The Gemini took a few steps toward Miriah, and instantly Aric and Corso moved in front of her. "First, he will destroy the shackles that kept me bound to your kind. Then he'll obliterate your pathetic Alliance as a reward to Atrius for playing his part."

"There's no need to harm the Alliance," Miriah said quickly. "You have me, leave them alone."

"What is done, is done. There will be no mercy." The Gemini turned in her shimmering shield and looked at the giant machine. "The time has finally come. Zildrog awakens."

The sounds of powering up reached them and a large yellow ball rose from the center of the unit, the lights making them all cover their eyes and the heat rising. Then a deep voice began to speak.

"Not since I consumed this planet have I felt such a hunger. Give me a target! Let me feed!"

"Execute formation 2995," the Gemini intoned, and the group all turned to each other in puzzlement.

"What is that?" Aric said, but no one had any idea, even Theron shrugged.

On Odessen, the dock of the Gravestone sprang to life, the ship powering up and it's engines going into their warm up sequence. The dock workers ran to the controls, but their commands were all locked out. The sequence completed, the Gravestone lifted away from the docking clamps, and began to rise into the sky. When Devin received the info, he initiated a security lockdown, and put the base's threat level at it's highest. He could sense nothing, but there was definitely something going on.

Back on Nathema, Zildrog intoned again. "It is done!"

"What was that?" Lana demanded, moving closer to the shield.

Miirah's holo chimed, and she fished it out of an inner pocket. "Commander! Things okay over there?" Hylo's voice was competing against the sounds of a ship, but Miriah heard her worry. "Because they're definitely not okay over here." Miriah heard a ship hit thrusters, and she knew immediately it was the Gravestone from the tone.

Hylo patched the comm unit into the radar screens, and they all watched as the Gravestone powered up her omnicannons and fired on the Eternal fleet. As the advanced ships buckled and exploded, one by one, Miriah remained impassive, her face not showing the devastation she felt. As the Gravestone swung to target Odessen, she felt herself go cold all over.

"All will be consumed!" Zildrog said.

"All this time, Zildrog was… how can this be happening?" Lana said, her panic growing.

"Rally the troops and prepare for attack," Miriah said, her voice firm. "Protect Odessen at all costs!"

Devin had already started the underground protocol, and Solasta hurried herself and her family down with the others. In the bunker, she saw Caly helping with her niece and nephews and fought the urge to go to her. The progression was steady, and as they all grew quiet in the dimly lighted space, the children going back to sleep, she wondered about Miriah. No need in worrying just yet, she told herself, but her subconscious knew better. When Aissa was safely being tended to by the nursery droid, she made her way into the control center, absently returning salutes as she passed through. When she stood in front of the glowing screens, she saw the main holo screen and the demise of the Eternal fleet. Without the fleet, she thought, what will we do? The gravity of the moment pushed her to sit in the nearest chair, as if her body had become weighted down. Suddenly she stood. No! Solasta thought. I will not give up so easily! She pushed her way to where Devin stood, directing the ships they'd launched after the fleet had been destroyed and felt the strength he radiated, drawing purpose from it. When he turned to her, Solasta nodded. "Tel me where you need me," she told him.

"Gathering power," Zildrog said, and the sound became a deafening roar before it abruptly went silent.

"Inconvenient," the Gemini said. "I'll have to destroy you myself."

"Destroy the power sources," Theron yelled. "Don't let Zildrog recharge!" He had his blaster drawn and pointed at the right side of the unit.

"I'll keep this thing occupied," Aric said, drawing a bead on the Gemini unit.

They methodically managed to destroy the small power sources, but it wasn't easy. When they fell, and just the Gemini was left, they grouped up to down her. Without her shield, she wasn't hard to defeat, and Aric had worn her down. Once she was lying in a heap of metal, Miriah took a deep breath before dialing Devin's frequency.

Devin knew his mother was calling before he looked at his holo. "We're all fine, Mom. The bunkers are all sealed and I've heard from both the settlement and Haven. Everyone accounted for and safe."

"Good job," she said, and Corso put his arm around her, knowing she was relieved. "The pods from the Gravestone?"

"All retrieved. All our ships are in orbit around Odessen, ready to intercept."

"What about the..."

"Shield is intact and holding," Devin told her. "Don't worry about us, take care of that thing." Miriah nodded and cut the call short, returning her full attention to the machine in front of her. Is it dead, she wondered. She glanced at Corso, who wore a grim face. Aric and Maura stood ready, as did Lana, her lightsaber humming.

"We need to shut Zildrog down before it has the chance to attack again," Theron said, and Miriah agreed. "The tech involved shouldn't be too different from Tyth, on Iokath. I think I can hack into it."

Vinn Atrius stirred, and rolled to his feet unnoticed. He ignited his saber and quietly made his way to where the group stood.

Lana felt the presence of another force user and turned. "Theron! No!" she screamed, as Atrius shoved the humming blade through Theron and the spy crumpled to the deck.


	49. Chapter 49

Torian had written and deleted his message more times than he'd counted, and still didn't know what to say to his beloved. Caly knows I'm fine, I'm sure, he told himself, but he wanted to know that she was as well. He sighed and sipped the now lukewarm caf in front of him. Finally, he picked up the datapad. _Caly, my love,_ he wrote. _We just got word about the Fleet, and I'm thankful that Odessen is safe. Please, do what Devin tells you, and stay safely underground for now. We should be over our destination shortly, and I will be able to put eyes on the Commander and tell you that she is absolutely fine. Until then, know that you are in my every thought, every heartbeat. I love you, Torian._ With a nod to himself, he sent the message, and sat heavily in the pilot's seat. Please maker, keep her safe, he thought, and settled in to the controls.

Lana knelt beside Theron as he tried to crawl away from Zildrog. "Don't move, Theron," she said, the ice gone from her tone. "Just try to breathe." Behind them, they heard the machine gearing up, the sound growing louder.

"I've sacrificed too much to let you ruin my last chance at vengeance!" Atrius stumbled toward Miriah, holding his side. "Zildrog will destroy Odessen, and you'll finally know how it feels to lose everything!"

"There's no logical reason to do this. The people of Odessen are largely families, they've done nothing to you. Yet here I stand. Your issue is with me, so be a man and fight me. Leave Odessen out of this!" At Miriah's words, Corso's blood ran cold. He knew she was right, but it took all of his considerable strength to not jump in front of her, between her and their enemy.

Atrius stood a little straighter. "It's time to end this! Zildrog, lend me your power!"

Aric and Maura both keyed their cannons, and stood ready at his words. "Augmenting..." Zildrog replied, the center beginning to glow and spin. Beans of golden lightning struck at Atrius from all sides, and picked his body from the floor to be held suspended by the light above the deck. Miriah was mesmerized by it, unable to look away. She felt Corso's hand on her arm, and when she remained where she stood, he lifted her and placed her several feet back from the light. Miriah finally came to herself and pulled her blaster from it's holster.

Atrius landed and looked at them, his eyes replaced by the golden light. "Consume our enemies, Servant of the Dragon!" Zildrog's voice finally brought Miriah out of her trance and she squared up to fire.

Caly had fallen asleep as soon as she was in bed, her body pushed without any for too long now. Devin heard her datapad and went to her, but didn't have the heart to wake her. She's worked hard, he realized, and gently placed the datapad on the box of supplies next to her, hoping she would see it when she woke. He made his way to where Mia and Elara sat, the babies all sleeping around them. "How long do you think we'll be underground?" Lara asked. "I mean, I'm not claustrophobic, but I can't say I like it here."

"Mom will have to get in touch once they're sure that Odessen is safe," Devin said, his sigh carrying all his fears. "I can only tell that while she's not happy with the situation, she doesn't feel fear. Yet."

"Declan misses being able to play outside, I'm sure James does, too," Mia said, and she and Lara talked quietly about the children. Devin stood, thinking he just wanted to stretch but his feet carrying him back to the screens in the command center, back to looking at the demise of the Fleet and wondering how they would defend themselves without it.

Atrius used the power Zildrog gave him without mercy. Aric and Maura reloaded more times than they could count, having to pause as their heavy cannons grew so hot they melted gloves and skin. Lana's lightsaber sang as it pierced the air, blow after blow raining down on Atrius. As the group wore him down, they saw some of the structures around them start to crack from the strain of keeping the man powered up. "Look!" Miriah screamed, pointing to the fissure that had opened beside her. Corso hauled her across with one arm, never letting his stream of super heated plasma falter.

Atrius fell once, but Zildrog sent more power to him, and the sound of the machinery increased. His force aided pike had sputtered and died, but he still fought. Finally, Atrius was caught in a crossfire from the cannons and blasters, and as he fell, the strain on Zildrog as the power returned to the machine caused the pillars to crumble inward, and when it overloaded, it flung the group back to the walkway. Miriah fell hard at Corso's side, and he heard her breath as it was forced from her body.

"Mir!" he tried to yell, but his voice merely whispered. He lay back, and saw Aric and Maura moving. Lana was beside Theron, his injury as yet unknown.

Devin had dozed in the chair, still in the command center. He jerked awake when he felt Zildrog fall, and turned to the screens that showed the decimated fleet. He was still staring at them, half awake, when he saw the dot designated Gravestone grow large and then wink out. "What!" he yelled, and others ran to him. "The Gravestone! It's gone, too," he said, and had to take a deep breath. All of the Rakata technology that they had used was now gone, and he didn't need to be a military strategist to know that they were almost defenseless now. Alliance ships were on the way to Nathema now. "Let's call back one squadron for defense here," he told Aygo, and got a nod. Mom, please tell me what's going on, he thought, but her force signature was faint. Devin rubbed his face and stood silently as Aygo briefed General Dinn, who had come running with Devin's yell. Now, she crossed to him.

"We'll be okay. The shield is undamaged, there were no personnel on the Gravestone. We'll find a way," Solasta said, and Devin nodded, his uncertainty in his eyes.

Lana pulled Theron away from the center of the platform and propped him up on the walkway column. He was pale and shaking, and Lana looked up at where Corso was helping Miriah up, carefully brushing her off and examining her for any injuries. "Theron's alive, but barely," Lana said, her voice revealing her worry. "We don't have much time. Unless we get Theron to Odessen, he won't make it." Lana's eyes never left Theron, and Miriah saw a tear streak down her friend's face.

"I'll go for the shuttle," Aric offered. "Bring it back here. It'll be faster." Miriah nodded and Aric took off at a run, Maura at his side.

"So glad no one else was hurt," Theron said, his voice barely a whisper.

"Rest," Lana told him. "We're going to get you out of here." Corso put his arm around Miriah then, and they sat down near Lana and Theron, waiting for Aric.

"They're done! Zildrog is no longer a threat!" Devin announced, and the cheers from the bunker were loud and long. The citizens of Odessen straightened the bunker and gathered their things, eager to return to their lives. He waited until everything was shut down in the bunker before going back into the main base, his heart heavy. Mia was waiting for him, Declan asleep in the stroller and Merida on her shoulder. She could see the worry and sadness on his face, and felt his despair in the force. "What could you have done, Dev? Nothing. Your parents are safe, our home is safe now. Sometimes, we just have to go one, and find another solution." He hugged her against him, and she felt his emotions even out.

"I know, you're right. I just don't know how we'll be able to remain independent now. We're vulnerable without the Fleet." He sighed, and pulled back to kiss her softly. "Thanks, love. I don't think we're in any danger now, if you want to go back to the house."

"I think we'll just stay put for now. At least until everyone is home, safe." Devin nodded, his wife was indeed wise. He walked with them to the apartment, and realized that no one else was worried. The mood in the base was jubilant, and he let go of the worry for a bit as he met smiling face after smiling face. Maybe we'll be okay, he thought.

Aric and Corso lifted Theron as carefully as they could, but he still groaned. Miriah had given him some pain medication she had in her small kit, and he'd been resting. Now, they strapped into the shuttle and held on as Aric took them straight up, wanting to reach the _Dreamweaver_ as quickly as possible. Once they landed and had Theron through the air lock, they wasted no time in getting him into a kolto tank. Miriah adjusted the setting as Corso took the ship into the hyperlane home, and Lana paced behind her. "He's going to heal," Miriah told her, her voice quiet but strong.

"I know, you're the best with this," Lana said, but she continued to pace.

"Lana, how can I help you?" Miriah asked, and Lana collapsed onto the nearby chair.

"I don't know how to feel," she admitted, and wiped her face. "I don't want him to die, but I don't entirely trust him either. How could he do this, not tell anyone about all of this? I also feel like I failed, if I didn't know about the prime unit doing surveillance on us."

"Lana, you cannot berate yourself. No one knew. Besides, it's human to not want someone we've been intimate with to die." Lana's head came up at that, and Miriah held back a grin. "You're human, Lana."

"I suppose I am," she sniffed. They sat together in silence, both exhausted but determined to make sure that Theron made it to Odessen intact.

Torian saw the _Dreamweaver_ just before they entered hyperspace, and the squadron followed. They're okay, he thought, and the joy of that almost overwhelmed him. He stayed in the formation and they all jumped at about the same time, and he sat back in the pilot's seat, smiling. I'll be back with Caly soon, he thought. He pulled out his datapad and looked again at the image he'd saved of her, and it made him want to hug her again. Soon, he told himself, and settled in for the next four hours of hyperspace.

Caly had seen Torian's message when Devin's yell over the Gravestone's demise woke her, and now she held the datapad to her chest, still groggy. She had followed her brother out of the bunker and across the war room, but now headed to her pod rather than their apartment. Devin saw her turn from the main path and watched her into the pod. She's safe there, he thought, and followed his wife and children. Caly peeled her clothes off and headed to the shower, and once done, snuggled into her bed. Torian's pillow still smelled like him, she realized, and hugged it to her chest, falling into a deep, peaceful sleep.

Miriah approached the cockpit and saw Aric asleep in the right seat. She slipped her arms around Corso's neck and he kissed her joined hands. "How is he?" he asked quietly.

"Holding his own," Miriah replied. "With the fleet gone, and the Gravestone, you know things are going to be crazy with the Alliance for the next little bit."

"It will," he agreed. "But you'll handle it. Lana will be with you, and I'm always here, darlin'." He pulled her around to sit in his lap. "So glad you're okay," he breathed into her hair, holding her close.

"Same here, sugar." She relaxed into the strength she always relied on, and felt safe and cherished. Aric snored softly, and she had to hold back a giggle. None of us are young anymore, she thought. I'm weary as well, but my mind just won't turn off. After a few minutes, she stood and bent to kiss her husband. "We'll be able to find some time when we land," she promised him, and he pulled her in for one more kiss before letting her go.

Lana had held onto her fragile emotions up until now, but with the quiet in the med bay and the figure floating in the tank beside her, she couldn't keep it bottled up any longer. She wept, and when she felt she had no more tears left for Theron, she cried some more. When she finally gasped and went to the small sink to splash cold water on her face, she saw that Miriah had returned and was making some adjustments to the medications infusing the injured man. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice rough.

"No need to be, Lana. He was everything to you, not all that long ago," Miriah told her. They were quiet for a moment, and Miriah heard Lana sigh deeply.

"I don't know where to go from here. I can't trust him. I mean, he shot me!" She stood to pace again, but Miriah drew her down to sit. "What do I do?"

Miriah thought for a moment. "Right now, we'll have our hands full with the Alliance. He's going to need a significant amount of recovery time. Nothing has to be decided right now, and legally, you are no longer bound to him. Take this time to figure out what you really feel, Lana."

Lana sniffed and hugged her friend. "You're right. We have a lot of work to do when we get home." She tried to smile, but they were both so tired it came off weak. They sat in silence as they neared Odessen, each wondering what the future would bring.


	50. Chapter 50

Miriah and Lana helped the med transport team with Theron, making sure he was stable as he was placed in their care. Miriah expected her friend to go with them, since she'd been parked in the medbay the whole way back to Odessen, but Lana remained at her side. Now, she looked into Lana's tired blue eyes. "Ready?" she asked, and Lana nodded. Miriah took Corso's hand, and they descended the ramp. Once Miriah's foot hit dirt, they heard the sound of almost five hundred troops snap smartly to attention. As far as they could see, there were uniformed soldiers saluting their Commander. Miriah took a deep breath and strode forward to where General Dinn stood, also at attention. Miriah returned the salute and when Solasta dropped her hand, the troops followed and the command went out for parade rest. "Sol, how are things, really?"

"We'll discuss it later. Now, the Alliance needs reassurance," Solasta replied, pointing to the holocam and podium that had been set up. Miriah swallowed hard but followed Lana to the podium.

"What a wonderful way to come home," she said, her voice magnified through the landing field. "Vinn Atrius and the Order of Zildrog has been defeated and Odessen is once again safe." Here, cheers met her statement, and Miriah allowed a small smile to cross her face. "We did sustain losses of equipment, but no lives. It means we have some challenges ahead, but the Alliance will carry on. We know now that our plans for keeping our residents safe works. We have learned that Theron Shan was in deep cover, working to intercept and get information to us about Zildrog." Lana let out a small gasp beside her, but Miriah kept her eyes forward. "Our Eternal Fleet is gone, as is the Gravestone, but we have all the information we need to build more ships with the Rakata and Iokath technology aboard. Today, the Alliance celebrates freedom from persecution by Zildrog!" The troops cheered her words, and Miriah stepped down from the platform. "Now, the work begins. Lana, we'll take a little time here to shake hands and such, but I'm thinking thirteen hundred for a debrief."

"Agreed," Lana said, typing furiously on her datapad. As they walked back to Solasta, Corso leaned toward his wife.

"Nice speech, darlin'. I believe it, too. We'll survive and come out stronger," he told Miriah, and she grinned up at him.

"Now, let's make our way in," Solasta said, and they walked through the troops, each line snapping to attention as Miriah passed. That never ceases to make me proud, she thought, and when she reached the hangar, she saw Devin standing with Aygo.

"Great job, son," she told him, and without a word he hugged her tightly.

"So glad you're home," Devin said, and turned to hug his dad. When they parted, Caly was there, wanting to see for herself that her parents were fine. They walked into the war room and Miriah thanked everyone personally for their service before heading down the hallway to her apartment. Caly hung back, waiting for the squadron to land, hungry to put her eyes on Torian.

Corso went to the kitchen to put on some caf as Aric and Maura put their gear bags in the hallway. Miriah went to the refresher and started her tub, her muscles sore and stiff. Corso knew she'd go there first, and when he had some food started for them, he found her, soaking in the hot water, the jets providing soothing bubbles. He had to grin, she looked so relaxed. "Darlin', I brought you some water," he said softly and was rewarded with her silver eyes blinking open.

"Thanks, sugar. I wanted to feel fresh going into this meeting," she said, taking the water bottle.

"I'll have some food ready when you get out," he told her, and kissed her forehead. She was standing when he left, so he knew she'd be ready soon, and hurried to the kitchen.

Caly was waiting when Torian hopped out of the small fighter, and he hugged her tightly to him. "Missed you," she sniffed, and he pulled her back to see her brilliant smile. He kissed her quickly, and pulled her into the hangar.

"I missed you, love. Let's get somewhere out of the crowds," he told her, taking her hand. They went to their pod, and there he pulled her into a long kiss, one that had them both struggling to break. "I know we have to wait, but I surely don't want to anymore. I want to marry you, to make sure that if something happens to me, you'll be taken care of." He kissed her again, and Caly melted under his passionate onslaught. "I'm going to talk to your parents again, very soon."

"Wow, Torian. I'm speechless," she finally managed to say.

"Say you'll marry me. Tomorrow," he urged, his eyes sparkling with the depth of his emotions.

"Of course," she said. "Are you sure?"

"More sure of this than anything in the galaxy," he assured her, hugging her against him again. He felt her shake, and thought she was crying. Oh no, he thought, it was too much. He gently pushed her back to look at her face, only to realize she was laughing.

"I can't wait!" she said happily, throwing her arms around his neck. "I love you, Torian."

"I love you, too." Now, to convince the Commander and Corso of that.

Lana had left Miriah in the war room, and her feet took her to the medcenter while her brain worked on all the things she had to do. She blinked when she saw Theron in the tank again, and Arcann, his lightsaber drawn, standing guard.

"I am hoping you do not wish to harm Theron," Arcann growled.

"I don't, at least, not now," Lana said. "Why are you guarding him?"

"Because Odessen considers him a threat, and he deserves a second chance. I am forever grateful for the one I was given, and I believe the Commander will grant Theron one, as well. Until then, he deserves to be safe." Arcann put his lightsaber back on his belt, but stood with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I appreciate you doing this," Lana said softly. "I hadn't thought about the possibility of someone trying to harm Theron while he's in this state." She took a step closer to peer at Theron's face. "I will arrange for a guard rotation. I'm sure you're needed at the settlement."

"That's a good plan. I will be here as well, since our crops are already in the ground." Lana only nodded, and turned to the elevator. "Lana, please tell the Commander of this."

"Absolutely," Lana replied, and started off. I know I should be relieved, after what Miriah said and now Arcann taking Theron's side, but I still cannot decide where I stand. She exited the elevator and walked right into Nico's chest.

"Good to see you back, safely," he murmured, and after a brief hug, stepped back.

"Nico, I'm so confused," Lana said, her eyes filling again. She would have sworn there were no possible tears left, but they continued to come. Nico pulled her into her office, knowing she wouldn't want the whole base to see her in this state.

"There's nothing to be confused about," he told her gently. "Someone who was very important to you has returned. You once loved him, so yeah, there's some feelings there. We have something pretty special, but I'm not threatened by Theron being back." Lana took comfort from his presence and his words, and finally got control of her tears.

"You're an amazing person, Nico. Yeah, I feel anger and confusion when I think about Theron, but when I think about you, I feel safe. Cared for." She pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I'm glad we're okay."

"Of course we're okay." He pushed her hair back from her face. "You'll figure out whether you want to kill Theron or not in time." His comment made her giggle, which was his intent, and she rested against his chest, her mind not churning as it had been since she'd first seen Theron.

Miriah looked around the conference room. Her detail had met her as she'd exited the apartment and she almost laughed when she saw them. Now, she saw her leaders as well as part of her family, all gathered to figure out exactly what had happened and where to go from here. When she finished explaining what they'd learned and the demise of Zildrog, she looked at the stunned faces before her. "Now, we need to figure out the future."

"We have seven ships in production, three bombers, three fighters and a freighter," Aygo explained. "In a week, these ships will be finished, although one is designated as yours, Commander."

"No, it needs to be for our fleet," she said. "I have one, and that's enough. Supplies?" Miriah looked at Hylo Visz.

"We're fully stocked, with enough on hand for six months," she replied. "No issues there. We were using Fleet ships for sending materials and goods to other planets, but they can just as easily send their own ships. We've stopped accepting immigrants at this time."

"I hate that, but it's probably a good idea for the time being," Miriah said, and saw Lana nod. "At some point, we'll be approached about forming a partnership with either the Republic or the Empire, since we are now in a weakened position. How do we feel about that, and whom do we choose?"

Silence was immediate, and they all looked at one another. It was apparent that they had not considered anything like that. "What are we hearing from the other Alliance planets?" Miriah asked Lana.

"Zakuul is formally leaving the Alliance, according to their newly elected governor," she replied. "Only one other planet is considering leaving, that I've been contacted about." Miriah nodded, she'd felt that Zakuul would leave as soon as they had their own leadership, and wasn't bothered by it. She would be happy to never set foot on Zakuul again, personally.

"We need to have every planet's government pose the question to the people in an election, whether to stay in the Alliance or not. Also, we need input from them about the partnerships." Lana nodded, and started to compose the message.

"The holo from your speech is being received very favorably," Senya said. "The response has been one of unity and pride." Miriah smiled at Senya, it was good to have her back on Odessen.

"We'll bounce back from this," Miriah said, and murmurs of agreement came from every seat. "Let's get to work, then." Standing, she met and shook the hands of all of her advisers as they filed out.

Torian knew that the Commander was in a debrief, and instead of worrying about what he would say, he went to his commanding office for assignment. "Son, you're officially on protection detail, under the command of Aric Jorgan. It was a pleasure to have you with our unit, but you've been promoted."

"Thank you, sir. So I report to Jorgan now?"

"That's it. Stay in touch, eh?" Torian nodded and made his way outside, sitting on the nearest bench. He'd left Caly in an exhausted sleep, and now wondered what to do. Aric was in the debrief, and he knew they all had to be tired, too. What is going on, he wondered. The family should be safe now, with Theron in a kolto tank and Zildrog destroyed. The woman from the settlement is still in custody, he thought. I don't know what to think. If I can marry Caly, then we can start putting together a home and build our future. He was thinking about that when he smelled dinner being prepared in the mess hall and his stomach grumbled loudly. With a chuckle, he went inside and gathered food for himself and Caly, and made his way back to her.

Miriah made her way to her office and sat heavily in the padded chair. Corso saw her face and immediately crossed to her. "What's wrong, Mir? The meeting went well."

"Just tired. And I feel like I'm missing something," she replied, and gathered her hair in one hand, reaching in the desk drawer for a clip. "What would be your preference, if we needed to make a choice? Republic or Empire?"

Corso thought for a moment. "I'd think the Republic, just because the Empire's ways are so opposite from what we have here," he replied. "My concern would be what would happen to everyone here? If we choose the Republic, would our people here who came from the Empire go back?"

"Everyone here is Alliance, no matter what they were before. We don't intimidate or blackmail people into staying with us." Miriah sighed. "I think I'd choose the Republic, too. Just because it's the enemy we know." They both chuckled at that, and Lana smiled when she came in. Miriah noticed she looked settled and more normal than she had since Nathema.

"I had an idea that we might want to have another conference, if for no other reason than to assure the other representatives that the Alliance is alive and well," Lana said, and Miriah thought about it.

"You're probably right. Two weeks enough to put it together?"

"Should be just right. We have everything in place already, and since we've done it once, should be a lot easier this time."

"Perfect," Miriah said. "I'm going home, I'm tired."

"I won't be long," Lana said. "Nico is making dinner." Miriah smiled at her then, but said nothing. It was enough that Lana was happy.

Torian closed the door quietly. Caly was still sleeping, and he took the opportunity to just look at her. She was so relaxed, he thought. So peaceful. He saw her sketch pad beside her and the wedding dress she drawn there, and it made him pause. I don't want to rob her of the wedding she wants, he realized. The dress was elaborate, and would be beautiful, he knew. Her family would enjoy the celebration, and he suddenly felt he couldn't take that from them. He wanted it, too, if he were honest with himself.

Caly rolled over and opened her eyes. "I smell dinner, " she said with a smile, and Torian brought the bags over to the bed and sat, taking out containers. "Did you talk to Mom and Dad?"

"Caly, I think you should have the wedding you want to have. I was being selfish before," he confessed, and she frowned.

"I want the marriage, not the wedding," she said softly.

"I want you to be happy, and your family to be happy. I do plan to talk to them, but allow us enough time to have the wedding of your dreams," Torian said. "Is four months enough?"

"Plenty," she said, leaning over to kiss him. Now, to get the Riggs on board, he thought.


	51. Chapter 51

Corso shifted a little to let Miriah settle deeper into the pillow under her head. He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, brushing the growing hair back over her shoulder. They had pleased each other twice before Miriah had settled into sleep, and even now, Corso worried about her. She and Lana had worked on contacting the Alliance planet leaders, letting them know about the demise of the Eternal Fleet, and as they'd gone on and on, he could see her spirits get lower and lower. Now, he thought, she looked at least peaceful. His arm under her still, he thought she felt light, and knew she had had little rest since Zakuul. He saw the tell-tale smudges under her eyes as she moved closer to him, shivering. He held her against his warm body and she relaxed again under the bedding he'd pulled over her bare shoulder. Too much, as always, he thought, and let his own eyes close for a moment before he felt Miriah wake. "Go to sleep, darlin'. You need it, and I need you to take better care of yourself," he murmured to her, and when she lay against him again, he sighed with relief.

"Love you, sugar. Didn't want you to think otherwise," she whispered, and he had to grin at the teasing tone of her voice.

"Love you, too. Rest," he told her, and she snuggled to him, her face against his neck, her breath warm where it feathered over his skin. They were quiet, and when Corso was sure Miriah was asleep, he let himself fall, too.

Caly had so many ideas running through her mind, she couldn't sleep. She had sat up, even after Torian had given in to rest, and made lists and daydreamed. Even now, in the wee hours of the morning, her eyes itching and burning, she found it hard to fall asleep. The dress she envisioned would be so beautiful, she thought. I can't wait to talk to Mom about it, and the cake, and the flowers. She grinned to herself as she realized that a wedding tomorrow would not have been what she wanted, and thanked the force Torian had seen that.

She looked over at him now, peaceful and totally relaxed, and couldn't believe how lucky she'd been to meet him. She only hoped her parents would understand their need to be married, and that they could convince them that it wasn't just physical need. Caly blushed at that thought, and admitted to herself that it was at least part of it. She'd grown up on a ranch, so she knew exactly how things worked, but the thought of being naked with Torian made her feel both cold and hot, and infused her with a power she never dreamed of. We have to convince them, she told herself, and forced herself to breathe in, then breathe out. After a few breaths, she felt her heart rate settle and her eyes grow heavy. Her last thought was of how Torian had kissed her just a few hours ago, and she fell asleep, a smile on her face.

Lana sat her bed, and sighed. The medcenter had been busy with a group of the hangar personnel that had taken some injuries as the Gravestone had been taken from it's moorings, and she didn't want to take anyone away from their duties to check on Theron. She could feel in the force that he was still unconscious, and lay back on her pillow. Nico had taken her to dinner, and then brought her back home, but didn't come inside. He said he didn't want to pressure her, and she understood. Now, she wished he'd just stayed. She had come to the conclusion a couple of hours ago that while she hoped Theron would recover, he was not the person she thought she'd married, and she didn't want to go back there. She finally just went into the shower and stood under the hot water, letting it relax her. When she finished, she slid under the covers and was immediately asleep, her heart light.

Miriah made her way to the office the next morning, feeling refreshed but worried about what the day would bring. She had already seen seven messages from different planetary leaders, all of whom had assured her that they were firmly with the Alliance. Ten more to go, she thought, nodding at the detail captain as she entered her office. Corso had been quiet, but he could feel that his wife was in a better frame of mind as she sat at her desk and sipped the hot cocoa he'd made her before they left home. He had cooked breakfast as she'd gotten ready, and she had eaten well. He could honestly say he felt great, and looked forward to the day. Lana came in and they did their daily brief, with nothing really to report except that Theron was stable.

"So, what do we do about Theron?" Lana asked, and Miriah simply looked at her friend.

"We wait until he's out of the kolto tank, and we get more information. We know now that there were many undercover operatives involved in this, not just Theron. We even have one in custody. He may have been telling the truth, Lana." Miriah watched Lana process that.

"How can I believe him when I saw him try to kill you with my own eyes?" Lana asked. "If I hadn't thrown myself in front of you, we wouldn't be sitting here."

"If I recall, we then chased him across a planet. On foot. So, on what setting was his blaster?" Miriah asked, and even Corso sat forward. He hadn't considered that, and now it was something he realized he had noticed at the time but dismissed amid the rage he felt over Miriah being a target. Again. "Theron wasn't on the planet when the courtyard attack occurred. There's a lot we won't know, until he's able to tell us. So, I'm reserving any formal statement for now, but I'm betting we'll find out that he's been working for the Alliance all along."

"The breach of trust was unforgivable," Lana said. Miriah studied her friend closely, and felt the residual hurt Lana still carried in the force.

"For you, personally, I totally agree. For the Alliance, it may have been necessary. I'm having the Gemini units here destroyed, just in case. I can't bear to think about someone having surveillance of us at all times," Miriah replied, and grinned at Corso, who blushed.

Caly brought herself up from sleep, and instantly her face brightened. Wedding, she thought, and jumped from the rumpled covers, headed for the refresher. She was so lost in her happy thoughts, she didn't realize that Torian had just turned the shower off, and they crashed into each other, Caly in her pajamas, but Torian wearing only his birthday suit, wet from the shower. "Oh! Hey!" Caly said, blushing furiously. "Sorry, I didn't.. I wasn't.."

Torian quickly turned his back to her and wrapped a towel around himself. "Good morning to you," he finally was able to say, his embarrassment complete. "You stayed up late, I think."

Caly managed to recover herself enough to nod. "Yes, I did, planning."

Torian chuckled then. "You are your mother's daughter," he said with a grin, holding the towel tightly around his waist. "I'll just go out here and dress. You do what you have to do."

Caly watched him leave, and sighed happily. She had graduation in a week, and now a wedding to plan. And, she thought, I think we're both going to be very happy. She blushed again, thinking of what she'd just seen, and washed her face, a happy tune in her head.

Corso went to the apartment around noon, and started to make lunch. When the chime rang and then the door opened, he knew it was Caly. She came bursting into the kitchen, her face beaming and happiness all around her. Torian follwed, and even he looked happy. Something's up, Corso realized, and hugged Caly as she threw herself into his arms.

"Dad! How are things today? It's got to be a relief to be home, anyway," she said, and Corso smiled.

"It is good, sweetie. Mom got a good night's rest and will be here for lunch soon," he told her, and she immediately pitched in, Torian putting dishes on the table. They chatted, but Corso knew they were not telling him everything. He played along, thinking they wanted to wait until Miriah was here. If she's pregnant, he decided, I will kill him. Once he had that settled in his mind, he let every other concern go and enjoyed the lightness of being happy.

Lana had gone back to her office and was reassured by the communications that were coming in. They had heard from every planet in the Alliance, and they were all positive. So if we only lose two planets, then we're still as strong as we were, she thought. Even without the Fleet. We have the same technology. She stood, intending to grab some lunch, but she found herself at the medcenter instead, looking at the kolto tank that held her ex husband. Why do I keep ending up here, she asked herself, turning to go. She felt his presence, but it was muted in the force, due to the sedatives in his system. Oh, Theron, what did you do? And why didn't you tell me, or at least give me some clue. She shook her head hard and forced her feet forward. She took a detour at the war room and went to the construction hangars. There she saw the ship once designated for the Commander being refitted and the other ships in various stages. Seeing they were all within weeks of completion, she smiled and wandered toward the cantina, hoping to find Nico.

Miriah heard her datapad beep and looked at the message. Hmm, she thought. Corso had told her that lunch was ready, and that Caly and Torian were acting strange. Happy, but strange. She stood and saw Lana as she passed. Going to the door, she motioned for Aric and showed him the message. "Not exactly what I expected, but okay. Do you want Maura and me to find something else to do?"

"No, no. I may need help with Corso if Torian has touched his little girl," Miriah said, chuckling.

"You don't seem nervous about it," Aric observed, the detail forming around them as Maura joined them.

"I'm not. They're destined to be together, and Devin told me how hard Caly worked when Torian was activated. She's matured so much since we've been on Odessen, so I have to give her credit." Maura nodded and they walked into the apartment, the smells of food beckoning them to the dining room.

Caly waited until everyone was almost done eating, and stood at the end of the table. "Mom, Dad, I made excellent scores on my internship grading. My instructor said he would give me any recommendation I wanted." She hugged them both and saw that they were waiting for the next part. "And we want to get married sooner than we originally planned." Caly waited for the uproar but it didn't come.

Miriah looked into her daughter's eyes. "Is there a reason?" she asked calmly, her hand on Corso's twitching shoulder.

"We realized, well, I realized when I was activated, that it was possible I wouldn't come home, and I wanted Caly to at least have my survivor benefits if that happened," Torian explained. "I couldn't stand the thought of her trying to live her dreams without me in them."

Corso stood. "I will ask this delicate question, and understand, a lot rides on this answer." Caly and Torian nodded, both swallowing hard. "Caly, are you expecting a little one?"

"No! Dad! How could you think that?" Caly's shock and embarrassment was all over her face, and Torian had backed away from her a few steps.

"It was the most obvious question to ask," Maura replied, getting nods and murmurs of agreement.

"Well, that's not it!" Caly said, beginning to get a little angry with her family. "I just want to have the wedding of my dreams before the galaxy ends, or the Alliance comes under attack again!"

Miriah sat in her chair. "Okay, I can understand that. Can me and Dad talk about it?" Caly nodded and grabbed Torian's arm, leading him to the family room without another word. Miriah let out a big sigh when they could no longer see them. "Corso, are you okay?"

Corso had felt his heart stutter a little with the pregnancy question, but he figured it was more adrenaline than an actual arrhythmia. "I'm fine," he said, and pulled Miriah into a hug.

"Do you promise?" she whispered, and felt him nod against her. When they parted, Miriah took another drink of water. "Well, then, I guess we have a wedding to plan. I was so shaken up I didn't ask when."

"She is a grown woman," Aric said. "And lucky to find her soul mate early enough to spend a good, long time with him." He put his arm around Maura, who lay her head on his shoulder. "They practically live like a married couple now."

"True," Miriah said, and felt Corso squeeze her hand. "But I'll protest it altogether if it affects your heart, sugar."

"He's not taking her away to another planet, and I know they love each other, have been together awhile," Corso replied, then sighed again. "I suppose I can always take him out if he cheats or mistreats her." He stood. "I'll go get them, see what the actual plans are." Miriah watched him with worried eyes, but he hadn't put his hand on his chest or get that look he always got when his heart went crazy. I have to trust him when he says he's okay, she thought, and waited for her daughter to return.


	52. Chapter 52

Devin smiled at his daughter and put more food on the tray for her to try and pick up. Merida was growing, and Mia was having a hard time keeping up with her. Declan was already finished, and Mia had taken him to wash his hands when Devin reached out in the force to check on his family. Caly's force signature was a brilliant burst of joy, and it made him smile. Everyone else seemed in good spirits, but his mom. Mom is just.. different, he thought. When he turned and saw Mia's face, she crossed quickly to him.

"What's wrong," she said softly. "You weren't frowning for nothing."

"Mom seems very dim in the force this morning," he told her. "I may try to get her alone sometime today and see what's going on. It worries me."

"I'm sure she's just working hard, and planning the wedding." Mia couldn't help but smile at that, the plans had been growing at a furious pace since the few days ago when Caly had sprinted into the apartment, her face glowing and her excitement palpable.

"Maybe so," Devin conceded. Still, he thought, I want to make sure. He hugged his wife, kissed his daughter's smiling face and slipped out the front door, hoping to catch some of the other family.

Corso was absorbed in comparing the specs on the weapons he was tasked to order for the new ships, and had been humming happily to himself. When he realized Miriah was not at her desk, his heart skipped a beat before he heard her with Lana. They had spend the night after giving Caly permission to marry in each others arms, and Miriah had cried off and on til morning. In the days since then, she had put on a happy face at work, and when they returned home, she ate little, said even less, and went to bed as early as she could. He had wanted to talk to her about it, but she would put him off. Last night, she even refused sex, which with Miriah, was a major change. Now, she just seemed resigned. No, he thought, she seems sad. She denies it, but even her posture is sad, he thought, remembering their walk over this morning. He heard Lana laughing with her, but something is not right, he knew. The plans for the afternoon included getting Theron out of the kolto tank, but Lana had already said she would not be there. He heard the flinch of armor and gruff voices, but then Caly's rose above the guard and he let her pass. "Dad!" she called out, and practically floated across the room. "I found exactly what I want for the cake. Is Mom busy?"

Corso hugged his daughter, holding on a little longer than usual. "Mom's always busy, but she'll make time for you," he told her, and saw Miriah enter the room. She stood at the door, just for a hesitant second, then put a smile on her face and entered. Yeah, Corso thought. Something is definitely wrong.

"Sweetie, what did you find?" Miriah asked, taking her chair. Caly pulled her datapad out and they talked about designs and color, but still Miriah face didn't show the happiness she said she had. Corso was officially worried.

Devin saw his Aunt Mags before anyone else, and hurried his pace toward her. If anyone knows what's going on with Mom, she will, he told himself. "Aunt Mags, how are you?" he asked, getting a hug.

"I'm good," she replied. "What's with the worry threading through your force aura? Kids okay?"

"Mom," he said, and Magdalane stopped short, moving to the side of the busy walkway and pulling Devin with her.

"What do you mean?" Mags asked.

"She feels different in the force. Not like when Valkorion was in her head, but not Mom. Not like she usually is," he explained, but Mags face remained confused.

"She feels like Mir, like always to me," Mags said, and Devin felt no deception from her. He sighed, and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Okay, Mia said the same thing. Maybe I'm just so used to worrying about her that I can't stop," he laughed, and Mags laughed with him.

"I'm sure if there's anything she's upset about, she'll let us know." Mags watched her nephew as he made his way down to the war room, and sighed, leaning on the wall. Miriah better get herself out of this funk, I don't know how long I can cover her. Pushing off from the wall, Mags headed to the medcenter.

Lana had seen her friend's changes, but knew it was something deeply personal, something that she might talk about later, but right now, things were too fresh, too raw for her to vocalize. Lana knew that pain, that state of mind, where you know what's wrong but saying the words, even to yourself, seems like it's impossible. Getting up from her desk, she smiled at the message that came across her datapad. Nico was waiting for her in the mess hall, and she carefully inspected her face in the small mirror she pulled from the drawer. She saw the flash of sadness in her own eyes, and firmly pushed it away. Miriah isn't the only one keeping something at bay, she thought, and reapplied her lipstick, wanting to be who she wanted to be, but knowing full well that events beyond her control would play out soon.

Miriah hugged her daughter and stood. "I like that one, Caly. I can do it, it might take a little practice, but your cake will be a work of art." Caly kissed her mother's cheek before going to her father for the same.

"I'll cook tonight," Calypso offered. "I need to figure out which job offer to take, and I'd love your input."

"Sounds good," Corso said, giving her a squeeze. They watched their daughter as she floated out of the office, and Corso sighed. "This thing is snowballing, isn't it?"

"Maybe a little, but we'll figure it all out. I know Mom is working on the dress design already, but not how far she's gotten. Mags is the best seamstress, so I know she'll be involved. I'm doing the cake, and Maura the flowers. We're all under control, I think." Corso had watched his wife carefully as she went through the list, and noted that there was no spark of joy, no excitement in her tone. "Mir..."

"Don't!" Miriah said, her hand held up between them. "Let's go find a little lunch, and try to get through taking Theron out of the tank today. That's the plan. Nothing more." Corso reluctantly nodded, he would rather she eat a bite and be rested than anything else, so he went along. For now, he thought.

Nico saw Lana as she sailed into the dining hall, and waved her over. "Sit, lovely. I have everything here," he said, gesturing to the table. Nico had chosen a smaller table, but not one of the nooks, where they would be in a more intimate setting. He was still trying to maintain a little distance, in case Theron was more to Lana than she let on, but it was hard. "How are things going in the executive wing?" he joked, and Lana blushed.

"Everything is good. We'll have the conference here in ten days, and figure out who's with us and who isn't. The wedding of the century is well underway," and here they both chuckled, "and I think that's enough going on."

"Indeed," Nico replied, taking a bite of his salad. "This is the day, isn't it?" Lana didn't have to ask to know what he was referring to.

"Yes, they'll do an assessment and decide if he can safetly be taken out. That doesn't mean that he'll jump up, raring to go. He'll still have a considerable recovery time." Lana took a bite of her food, and chewed carefully, watching Nico. "It bothers you?" she finally asked, and Nico looked away.

"Lana, I thought this was just us having fun, but I admit, I have grown very fond of you. If you find that Theron is telling the truth, and he truly was working for the Alliance all this time, I'm afraid you'll go back to him, and that would make me profoundly sad." Lana's eyes grew bright, and she reached for Nico's hand.

"I already know where my heart lies, and while Theron awakened the woman in me from a long sleep, you make that inner woman sing. I'm not going back to Theron." Lana patted Nico's hand, getting him to look into her eyes. When he did, he saw that she was sincere, and flashed his trademark grin.

"Well. Alright then." They finished their meal in silence, but their shared touches and looks reassured them both.

Miriah and Corso arrived at the medcenter just as Mags started the process of emptying the kolto tank. Corso knew this was a timely process, and pulled up a chair. Miriah stood, arms crossed over her chest, patiently awaiting the time she could question Theron. Aric and Maura appeared a few minutes later, Aric already having been briefed by Corso on the morning. They were all quiet as Theron was placed onto the hospital bed, and Magdalane's force aura flared brightly.

"He's as stable as he can be," she finally murmured, and turned to her sisters. "I'd rather not stress his system any further with a stim, so let's get him into a room and let his system reset." Silently, the group followed the bed, and Corso saw how rigid Miriah was holding herself. She's got to break at some point, he knew. Still, he hung back to speak to Aric.

"She's still brooding?" Aric asked, and Corso nodded.

"Or something. I don't know what's going on, man. She's been upset before, and brooded over stuff, but this feels different somehow." They watched the woman in question stand at the foot of Theron's bed, her eyes on the monitors above. "I'm scared."

"We'll figure it out, Cor. I mean, she's been pulled thin for a long time, maybe you both just need a break. You can take the ship up again, we can..."

"This is more than that, Aric." They stood quietly, watching as Mags and Miriah talked, each knowing that something was wrong, but not what.

Magdalane stood close enough to Miriah that their voices were heard only by the other. "Mir, you are not old and done," Mags said, and Miriah took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"My youngest child has decided to do what she wants, and logic has me agreeing with her. We've lost so much in such a short time. Now, Theron is back, but who's side is he really on?" Miriah shifted her feet. "I feel like a failure, Mags."

Magdalane stood quietly, thinking. "You did all you could to stop Zildrog, but even you are not in control of what someone else does. I'd say Caly is only grabbing her destiny, since they're meant to be together anyway."

"Yeah, I'm such a good mom that she cannot wait to marry and get away from me," Miriah replied, and Mags felt the small crack in the wall Miriah had erected.

"You know that's not what's going on," Maura joined in.

"It sure feels like it, like my whole self is going to shatter at any moment," Miriah confessed, and Mags glanced behind them.

"Corso is worried, so is Devin. He says you feel dim in the force, and you won't be able to hide this forever, Mir."

"I know."

Torian had asked Gursan to meet him in the cantina, and they grinned at each other. When Gursan had been told of Torian's news, and agreed to stand up with his vod (brother) in his wedding, they had a drink to celebrate. Gursan's smile dropped suddenly and Torian frowned at him. "What's wrong?"

"I'll have to tell Solasta," Gursan said, and took a bigger swig of ale.

"She knows we're engaged. Marriage is the logical conclusion of that," Torian said evenly, and saw Gursan nod.

"Yeah, the idea is solid, but you know how Sol feels about Calypso. You may get some push back from her, just sayin'" Gursan finished his drink and started to rise. "I need to get home, give her a break from the baby hellcat." He grinned hugely, and slapped Torian on the back. "Just keep your eyes open."

Caly hummed as she cooked, and felt like everything was going right, for once. She had so many people working to give her the perfect day, and she was so grateful for them. I love this kitchen, she thought, pulling the large platter from the cabinet. I wish I could make Mom and Dad know how happy I am. She heard the door and turned to give them the dish of munchies she'd put together to snack on before dinner, and was surprised by Torian. She put the plate down and hugged him tightly, and caught the smell of beer. "You met Gursan?" she asked.

"I did. He was not looking forward to telling the General," he replied, kissing her ear.

"It'll all work out," Calypso reassured him. "I'll go talk to her tomorrow." She turned to stir something, and missed the look of longing on Torian's face, and he'd pushed it away before she turned again.

Miriah shut down her computers and tidied her desk before joining Corso at the door. "Darlin', please tell me that you still love me?" he said, and his words brought her up short.

"Of course, I love you, sugar. Why are you wondering?" she said, and he saw the frown form on her face.

"Because you won't tell me what's wrong, and it's killing me that you're shouldering this burden on your own," he told her, taking her in his arms. "Talk to me."

"Soon," she told him, burying her face in his chest, letting the tears she couldn't stop soak into his shirt.


	53. Chapter 53

Theron could hear things around him, but was unable to force his eyes to open. He tried to remember what had exactly happened, but if he was in a medcenter, then the Commander must have defeated Zildrog, and he felt his inner self relax in relief. We won, he thought, and let the fatigue of trying to heal take him under again, this time, his heart light.

Corso startled awake and reached for his wife, finding nothing beside him. A sliver of fear raced through him as he leaped up to find her. Racing through the apartment, he finally rushed into the family room, and saw her there, wrapped in a soft blanket, sitting on the sofa. Saying nothing, he quietly joined her, and when he put his arms around her, she leaned into him, closing her eyes. After several minutes of this, Corso stood and lifted her in his arms, and took her back to their bed, snuggling her close. He felt her sigh, and gently rubbed her back. He had told himself he would just support her, but he was getting close to not being able to honor that pledge. "Mir?" he said softly, but when he looked at her, she was asleep, and instead of waking her, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and settled in beside her, wondering when she would finally talk to him about this.

Magdalane had woken early and decided to check in with the medcenter. She saw that Theron's brain waves had shown a good bit more activity as the night had gone on. Good, she thought. He's going to be awake soon. She made a mental note to tell Miriah, and that made her start to worry about her sister again. If she had to put a name to it, she would say that Miriah was near a major depressive episode, but she had seen her sister bounce back from this edge several times in her life, and wasn't ready to admit that she wouldn't this time. I need to get her to talk to me more, she thought. Yesterday she did, she will again. Determined to not sit idly by, Mags finished her notes on Theron's chart and examined the other patients under her care, finally going to meet Felix for coffee, a plan in her mind.

Corso woke again with empty arms, but before he could move, he heard the shower and relaxed against the pillow for a moment. Suddenly he jumped up and shed his clothes, joining Miriah in the shower. At first she just gave him the flat look he had seen on her face for almost a week now, but when he ran his hands over her water slicked body, he saw her desire flare in her eyes, and he lifted her to wrap her legs around his waist. He gladly loved her, reveling in their intimacy, treasuring the closeness he had missed so much. Maybe this will bring her back, he briefly thought, before kissing her again.

Aric and Maura stopped to grab some food from the mess hall. Now that things were back to relative normal, they didn't fear eating the food, but Aric still wouldn't get his caf there. They were heading to Miriah's when Aric asked Maura, "What do you think is wrong with Mir?"

Maura stopped and stepped aside to the edge of the walkway. "I think she's taking the loss of the Gravestone and the Fleet personally, like she could have prevented it in some way. She had just gone through all of that, and Theron, and then when she got back, got hit with Caly and Torian's wedding." She shifted the hot food, and Aric saw the concern in her eyes. "Anybody would be stressed. Now, she's got to do this whole conference thing, she still doesn't know which side the traitor is really on, and I hear that Caly is constantly planning the wedding."

Aric thought a moment. "Eh, yeah. That makes sense. I think I'd go on a rampage under that kind of constant stress."

"If Mir would go on a rampage, she'd feel better. On top of all that, Mags said she feels very old with the baby bird flying away." Maura inclined her head to the security checkpoint. "Now, let's go feed her. We can at least do that."

"Absolutely." Aric followed his wife, and thought on her words. Corso had said it was something more, and he might be right, but Maura's perceptions were very good. He was deep in thought as they approached the apartment, and Maura stopped him with a quick kiss on the cheek.

"She'll be fine," Maura said. "She knows she can talk to us anytime, and she will when she's ready." Aric nodded, and hoped his wife was right.

Miriah giggled as she lay back on the bed, and Corso covered her with his body, his mouth on hers, greedily taking what he wanted. They both froze as they heard the apartment door open, and Corso sighed, pushing himself up to dress. For the last half hour, Miriah had been his Miriah, not the one she'd shown the world lately. She hurried to dress, and when she pulled the command tunic over her head, she also pulled on the serious, unapproachable persona, and Corso's heart sank. "Darlin', never forget I'm here, and I love you. So much," he murmured close to her ear. He felt her hesitate, then return his hug, and when he drew back, he saw the sadness in her, the defeat, and it nearly undid him. It was only a few seconds, then she pasted a smile on her face and turned to the doorway.

"I smell breakfast, so let's go," she said, and pulled on his hand. Maybe I'm breaking through, Corso thought, and followed Miriah into the brightly lit kitchen, the caf already brewing.

Theron heard the sounds around him, and again had to remind himself of where he was and what it meant that he was in a medcenter. He struggled but finally got one eye open, and saw that he was indeed on Odessen, which made him sigh in relief. He had only just begun to move around when he saw Master Magdalane enter the room, her eyes kind and nonjudgmental. "Agent Shan. Good to have you back," she said, and he tried to smile.

"Glad to be home," he said weakly, and only then realized his injuries had been more extensive than he originally thought. "Zildrog..."

"Is dead," Miriah finished. "Theron, you are going to be recovering a long time," she told him, casually walking up to the side of the bed. "Tell me, do I need to have guards around you?"

"No," Theron said, and cleared his raspy throat. "I am so sorry that I had to keep you in the dark, Commander. It would not have been my choice, but when I saw how much information the Gemini was gathering for Atrius, I knew I had to go rogue. If you will feel better having me guarded, then I accept that. But I hope you'll believe me. I am glad Zildrog is dead, and that the Order is no more."

Miriah studied him, and he kept eye contact with her as long as he could. Magdalane used the bed controls to let him sit up and helped him with a sip of water, all in stony silence as Miriah formulated her next question. "Why did you shoot at me on Umbara?"

"I had to make you and Lana and Corso believe that I wanted to harm you. I knew either of them would intercept the shot, and the injury would be minimal, since I had the blaster modified to only shoot half strength plasma. I.. when Lana took the shot, I knew I'd just ruined everything with her, but I had no choice then but to go forward." Theron had begun to tire, and closed his eyes for a few seconds. When he opened them, Miriah was gone, and only Mags remained.

"Rest, Theron. Everything will be known, in due time. I think you answered her most pressing questions." Magdalane handed him some pills, and he hesitated before downing them with the icy cold water. Minutes later, he was pain free, and drifted back to sleep, this time feeling that he'd vindicated himself, at least a little.

Corso followed Miriah, hustling to keep up with her pace, unsure what she was thinking. They stopped by the office, the detail relaxing for a moment as Miriah checked in with Lana. From there, she had the detail take her to the conference room, and once there, she activated the security systems and locked them both inside. Corso thought that she didn't even realize he was there, and further knew that when she let out a pained roar. It shocked him, and he was very still, watching.

"Why!" she yelled. "Why didn't I see all of this before? Why didn't I see the others that were involved? Why!" Miriah was pulling at her hair and even though Corso wanted to comfort her, he also wanted to let her vent. She paced furiously, and he could see her working through all that had happened. "I didn't even suspect Indo! I trusted too easily, and too many!" She suddenly stopped and turned to Corso. "I want Senya here. Now." Corso nodded and ducked his head out of the door to ask the detail captain to summon Senya. When he clicked the door shut, he turned to see Miriah shaking with tears, on her knees at the back of the room, and went to her.

Senya and Lana had been enjoying lunch outside, the weather finally warm, when Senya saw a detail guard hurrying their way. When he'd delivered his message, he waited silently a few paces away. "I figured I'd have to answer some questions," Senya said with a wan smile.

"I'll go with you," Lana said, and they stood, gathering their things. They were almost at the conference room when the detail guard stopped them, then waved Senya to the door.

Corso heard the sharp knock and turned back to Miriah. He'd held her for a few minutes until she was only shuddering, then led her to the small refresher to gather herself. Now, she nodded at him, her red rimmed eyes the only evidence of her crying. She was the Commander now, and was ready for the next thing. He went to the door and let Senya in, and saw Lana had come along. "Just Senya, for now. Hang out here, though," he told her, and Lana nodded.

Senya entered the room and immediately felt the force waves. Anger. Disbelief. Confusion. Sadness. They all were present in equal measure, and her heart went out to the black clad woman who balanced the galaxy on her shoulders. "Commander, it's good to be home," she said, and Miriah nodded.

"Did you ever suspect Indo?" Miriah asked, no time in her thoughts for pleasantries.

"No. I never had any reason to think he was anything other than what he proposed to be. Nothing in the force was deceptive or unusual. When I got Lana's message, of course, I placed him under arrest, but due to the circumstances, I had a guard detail placed at his home. That was my mistake, I never thought he'd take his own life."

"I'm sure that was the mission directive if he were caught," Miriah said softly. "I am sorry that it turned out the way it did, Senya. I had an idea that Indo meant something to you."

"He was a good friend, or so I thought. We had fun as we worked to rebuild Zakuul." Senya dropped her gaze. "It was good to be seen as a woman again, but as usual, there were ulterior motives at play. I feel foolish for thinking otherwise."

"No need," Miriah said. "I'm feeling foolish enough for us all." That brought a sad smile to both their faces, and Senya nodded. "Thank you for coming." Senya made a motion to reach out to Miriah, but something stopped her and instead, she nodded again before slipping silently out the door.

Corso turned to Miriah. "Lana was with Senya, do you need her?" Miriah shook her head, sitting heavily in the nearest chair, her head in her hands. "Darlin', what can I do?" he asked softly, kneeling beside her.

"I'm just trying to understand how clues were missed, deception allowed to pass. I can't believe that everyone missed all of it. I can't believe I was that stupid," she answered, and lifted her head. "Let's go. I can't stay in here any longer." Corso followed her out, and when the detail captain asked where she wanted to go, she stood silent for a minute. "Home," she finally said, and Corso offered her his arm, relieved when she took it.

Lana stood off to the side and saw the detail form up. She was still watching them as they left and headed to the hallway, and saw Nico searching around. She made her way down to where he stood, and he hugged her. Smiling, she pulled back to look at him. "What was that for?" she asked.

"You just looked like you needed a hug," he told her, and she had to agree. She was feeling at a loss, with Miriah so turned inward and her trying to stay away from the medcenter. She felt unmoored, she realized, and understood that Miriah was feeling much the same.

"I did, Nico. Thank you," she told him, and her eyes watched as the detail was dismissed for the day. "As much as I am enjoying being in your arms, I'm afraid I really need to catch up to the Commander."

"Of course," he told her, and left her at the door. Lana hesitated, but pushed the chime. Corso answered within seconds, and put his finger to his lips.

"Miriah is resting," he told her, pulling her gently into the foyer. She followed him to the kitchen and sat as he prepared the caf maker.

"Is she really okay? I am worried," Lana said, and saw Corso turn to her.

"She will be. I wish she would talk to me, but I know until she's ready, we'll all just have to guess. Still, her little temper outburst today had to let off a little steam." Lana raised her eyebrows, she hadn't known why Miriah was in the conference room, she'd assumed that it was just safer to keep knowledge of the past few days as secure as possible. Now, she wondered if Senya was really okay. She'd seemed to be when she left, but maybe that bears watching, she told herself. She was sipping the fresh caf when her datapad chimed, and she pulled it from her pocket, not expecting the message she saw.

"Theron is awake and is asking for you," Magdalane wrote. "I don't want to agitate him. Can you please come to the medcenter?" She sighed and stood. Better to get it over with, she told herself.


	54. Chapter 54

Lana hesitated as she peered into the room. Her feet seemed glued to the floor, and her heart was racing. No matter what, she told herself, I am who I am now. With a final shrug of her shoulders, she stepped over the threshold and toward Theron. She saw his eyes open and the warmth that flooded them when he saw her.

"Lana, I'm so glad you came," he said. "I owe you such a huge apology, and it was weighing on me."

"No need, Theron. You already told me what happened, and while I don't think it was the best way to handle things, it's done. We should move past it." Lana busied herself straightening the room, and finally had nothing left to do but turn to the man lying in the bed, who had watched her in silence.

"I saw the divorce decree in my old messages," he said, and Lana's eyes flew to his involuntarily. "It was the right thing to do. You thought I'd even tried to kill you." The last was said in a soft voice, and she felt herself tremble. She gathered her inner strength and gazed steadily at him.

"All my adult life, I have mistrusted. Myself. Everyone around me. I let that wall crumble, and then you left without a word. Next thing I knew, you were shooting at the Commander, and I had to make sure she wasn't hurt. Again." Lana turned to pull a chair up, not trusting her legs. "I felt I had no choice. If anyone in the Alliance had ever seen you, you would have been dead, I have no doubts." Theron nodded, totally absorbed in her words. "I can't go back, Theron. I can only go forward."

"I know I have a lot of trust to earn," Theron replied, his face serious. "Even if we aren't married any longer, I still want to do the work, whatever that might be, to at least not be your enemy."

Lana stilled her shaking hands. "Then we're good. You just need to focus on healing. Besides, I have a feeling Miriah will be a tougher sell on the trust front."

Theron allowed a smile to cover his face. "I am absolutely positive you are correct. She seems drained, at least when she was in here earlier."

"She's dealing with a lot, after all the losses." Theron's face reflected his shock when she related the loss of the Gravestone and the Eternal Fleet.

"No wonder," he said, "that Miriah is stressed. I wish I could do something."

"Just get better. We'll deal with it all as it comes," Lana replied, and stood. "Take care, Theron." She hurried out to the elevator, anxious to be anywhere but the medcenter. She emerged on the main floor and saw Caly and Torian crossing the war room. At least there is something to look forward to, she mused, and waved.

Torian had been with Caly the whole day, and the young woman had been chattering nonstop. He had taken to just smiling and nodding, when finally she noticed and stopped short at the entrance to the hallway leading to her parent's apartment. "Okay, Torian. What did I just say?"

Torian blushed hotly and stammered. "Honestly, sweetheart, I don't know. I was thinking about the possibility of Mandalore needing me for a mission. I'm sorry," he said, quickly kissing her nose.

"I know I've been a little crazy lately," Caly admitted. "I even think Mom is a little overwhelmed. Maybe I need to just let things happen for a bit, we've got the basic plans in place. Besides, I'll start working in the cantina next week." The cantina owner had made her an offer, a very generous offer, and had vowed to top anyone else who wanted her to cook for them.

"It will all work out," Torian told her, and put his arm around her shoulders. "Are we going home or to your parent's?"

"Home, I think. I want to just relax a bit." They made their way down the hallway, oblivious to anyone else.

Corso peeked in on Miriah, who was curled up on her side, still sleeping. He wondered how long she could keep this pace, and the strain on her it caused. He quietly moved to the bed and lay beside her, curving around her body. Miriah moved closer to him, and he was startled when she spoke softly.

"What if all we've done, all we've sacrificed and worked for, is over?" she said. "What do we do then?"

Corso thought about her words. "The losses have been great, but the freedom is greater," he told her. "I wouldn't have done a thing differently. Why would it be over, darlin'?"

"We're vulnerable without the Fleet," she said. "Ship production is ongoing but can only be done in time." He heard her heavy sigh and pulled her closer.

"The conference will show you how much you, Mir, mean to the Alliance and keeping it going. They need you, but not as much as I do." Miriah turned to face him then, and he hugged her tightly. "You'll see, we'll be fine." He gently rubbed her back and felt his wife relaxing against him. "Don't let the wedding stuff interfere with the Alliance," he whispered. "Caly's just excited right now, but she knows you have more things to do that deal with this somewhat surprise wedding."

"But our only daughter's wedding is important," Miriah feebly protested, but was cut short with Corso's kiss.

"In time, my love. For right now, the conference is the prime directive. I want us to have a short break after that. We have months before the wedding." He brushed Miriah's hair over her shoulder. "Rest. Dinner will be ready in a bit, and we can just try to get a relaxing evening here." Miriah nodded, and he closed his eyes. Maybe now, she'll be a little less worried, he thought, but he knew better.

Lana had picked up dinner and gone to her apartment, and as she rode the elevator up, she realized that she didn't feel the anger she'd been living with since Nathema. She thought about that as she sat on the sofa with her food. For so long, anger at her ex husband had always been lurking in the back of her mind, even when she thought she was over it. Now, it really felt like she was past it all, and when she entertained thoughts of working with Theron again, she didn't feel the twist in her gut that she had experienced in the last few days. She thought about how much Theron still had to face, and felt a twinge of empathy for him. His future was so uncertain. Still, Miriah had not left him to die, so she must believe his account of things. She finished her food and sat back on the sofa, and when her datapad chimed, she smiled. Nico was on a run, and would be back in a few days, but he never let her go to bed without a message. She settled in to answer, and felt a peace she'd been without for almost a year.

Morning found Miriah and Corso in her office. Miriah had slept from dinner until the chrono sounded, and she at least looked a little more rested today, he thought. She had been going over the conference schedule, and now stood, stretching. "Sugar, let's go to the medcenter," she said, "I'd like one more talk with Theron."

"Anything you want, darlin'." He waited for her to dash into the refresher and when she came out, he stopped her. She still wore the stern, serious expression on her face, but her eyes no longer held shadows under them, and for that, he was thankful. They proceeded to the sub level, and into Theron's room. He was sitting up in the mobile chair, but looked far from comfortable, tiny beads of sweat on his brow. The droid was almost finished making the bed, and Miriah waited until Theron was comfortably in it before speaking.

"Theron, you're making progress," Miriah said, and saw the pain in the agent's eyes.

"I am," he said, his voice wavering. "It's something, at least. Commander, I know I have to earn your trust again. I'll do anything for that. This is home, what we all worked for, and I missed it."

"I have to admit," Miriah said, "when you sent Missy to Nar Shaddaa, I wondered then if you were truly working against us. Even Aric had questions about the demise of the _Windwalker._ "

Theron chuckled uneasily, making him cough and wince, holding his side. When he could breathe again, he shook his head. "I knew they were watching me place the explosive, so I did the best I could with the calculation. I had hoped that it would even just be a dud, in the fuel, but no such luck." He gazed over to the door then. "I almost blew it all with that." He hung his head. "I'm so sorry, about all of it."

Miriah stood silently, but finally sighed. "I believe you. I don't quite trust you yet, but I believe what you've told us." She started to the door, turning at Theron's voice.

"I've learned a lot since this all began, but most of all I've learned that the galaxy as a whole is with you, Miriah. You're a strong leader that has gained the respect of many."

"Thank you," Miriah said, giving Theron a small smile over her shoulder as she was swallowed up by the guard detail.

Caly had almost gone to her mom's office when Torian went to help Devin with something, but at the last minute, she diverted to her Nana's place. Sarai hugged her tightly and ushered her into the kitchen where the sketches for her wedding dress were spread over the table. "Oh, Nana! You're working on this already?"

"Of course, my girl. I find I can't put in the long days of sewing that I used to, so I do a little at a time. Takes a little longer, but that's why I'm starting on figuring the amount of fabric and such." They talked about the other wedding details, and as they sipped their tea, Caly asked her grandmother the question that had been bugging her since her talk with Torian yesterday.

"Am I responsible for the way Mom looks these days?" she blurted out, averting her eyes.

"Your mother has many stresses, Caly." Sarai reached out in the force and realized that Miriah's force aura was almost black, and was upset at herself that she'd missed seeing it.

"I know, but maybe we need to push the date out a bit, or even just see what happens with all the other preparation."

"If Miriah was upset, believe me, you'd already be aware. The whole base would be aware," Sarai chuckled. "I'm sure she's just dealing with all of the fallout from Nathema, dear. And, that she loves you dearly, and you're her last baby." Caly looked stricken at that.

"I really never thought of that," she whispered, and Sarai saw her granddaughter's eyes fill. Caly stood suddenly and hugged Sarai. "I need to go see her."

Aric and Maura had been meeting with Solasta when they saw Caly hurrying to the security checkpoint. Once she had cleared, Caly hugged her uncle. "What's the hurry, sweetie?"

"I need to hug my mom and tell her I love her," Caly replied, hugging her aunt before taking off down the path to the executive offices.

"She needs to slow down, or the detail will detain her," Maura said, but knew from the look on Caly's face that she wouldn't be deterred.

"She'll be fine. And I think we're ready for the conference. Just one more standard week, and we'll have an idea of what comes next for the Alliance."

A/N _This is the end of this one, but the new one, entitled Emerging Alliances, will be up in the next few days. Thank you all for reading, and most of all for the reviews, they mean the world!_


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